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From: operator@desire.wright.edu
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: AURORA
Message-ID: <1991Mar15.041839.11216@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 15 Mar 91 04:18:39 GMT
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (william.b.thacker)
Organization: University Computing Services, Wright State University
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From: operator@desire.wright.edu

Concerning project Aurora,

	I have seen reference to this project in more than one book on stealth
aircraft including J. Jones "Stealth:The Art of Black Magic" and Doug
Richardson's "Stealth."  Richardson's book includes an artist's conception of
the aircraft but both include the story that it is, indeed, the replacement for
the SR-71.  

	It is apparently capable of better than Mach 5 and has stealth
capability that is well beyond the SR-71.  Lockheed is the primary contractor
and is built at the skunkworks.  Stories say that there are many operational
aircraft.  Of course, this is basically all speculation but there is a quote in
the Jones book, I believe, from an ex-Air Force official who claims that "with
the SR-71 they knew we were there but they couldn't touch us.  With the Aurora
they won't even know we're there."

	I would also suggest any books on stealth by Bill Sweetman may have
some speculation on this aircraft.  Also, there is another project in the Air
Force currently carrying the code name Aurora and I believe it has to do with
detection systems experiments, probably concerned with the Strategic Defense
Iniative.

Robert Mack, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio