Black project

In the United States and United Kingdom, a black project is in the vernacular a classified military/defense project, unacknowledged publicly by the government, military personnel, and defense contractors. Examples of U.S. military aircraft developed as black projects include the F-117 Nighthawk stealth attack aircraft and the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, which were highly classified and denied to exist until ready to be announced to the public.

In the United States the formal term is Special Access Program (SAP).

Examples

Previously classified

• B-2 Spirit stealth bomber
• Boeing Bird of Prey technology demonstrator
• F-117 Nighthawk stealth ground-attack aircraft
• KH-11 KENNAN reconnaissance satellite
• SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3.3 very high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft
• Lockheed CL-400 Suntan high-altitude, high-speed reconnaissance prototype
• Lockheed U-2 very high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft
• Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel
• Lockheed Martin Polecat unmanned aerial vehicle
• Northrop Tacit Blue
• Operation Cyclone
• RQ-3 Dark Star high altitude reconnaissance UAV

Currently classified, but speculated

^{[citation needed]}

• Misty and Enhanced Imaging System spy satellites
• X-41 Common Aero Vehicle military spaceplane
• SR-72 stealth reconnaissance UAV
• Aurora hypersonic spy aircraft (unconfirmed)
• Area 51
• Stealth Blimp Reconnaissance platform

See also

• Open secret
• Black operation