Message posted by quellish on November 23, 2011 at 20:07:39 PST:
A previous post (from 2002) asked about THERMAL VICAR, a defense wide Special Access Program (0604943D8Z) which has been active since 2002/2003 (funded at about $9m a year). The program is owned by the Deputy Under Secretary Of Defense (Test And Evaluation), and has been marked as a development activity under RDT&E Management Support. In 2008, a pair of transactions moved $34m in funds from the USAF RDT&E budget into 0207248F (aka Special Tactical Unit Detachments, aka RED HATS) AND moved $2m from USAF RDT&E to THERMAL VICAR, a defense wide program. These two transactions appear to be triggered by the same event/action. "This request is in support of higher priority items, based on unforeseen military requirements, than those for which originally appropriated, and is determined to be necessary in the national interest". If Groom Lake is indeed now a national-level facility as indicated by the name National Classified Test Facility, it is entirely possible that THERMAL VICAR is the DoD wide portion of the facility budget, or the budget for a facility, service, or unit at the base. A new RED HATS initiative (hypothetically, acquiring a new MiG-2000) which requires 34m in funds may also require 2m in support from the facility (hypothetically, parking spaces and fuel).
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