A U.S. Military Base Has Been Running ‘Black Sky’ Experiments That Aren’t Listed Anywhere

By Ronald Kapper
Category: Hidden America

There’s an unsettling truth hidden in plain sight: the U.S. military has been running highly advanced exercises known internally as “Black Skies,” and the public record barely scratches the surface of what they involve or where they occur.

These are not casual drills. They are intense joint exercises focused on electromagnetic warfare and space defense that stretch the limits of military training and technological capability. And official releases leave out most details — locations, capabilities tested, and exact objectives remain largely confidential.

When something this significant operates off the official grid, the first reaction isn’t curiosity — it’s suspicion.

This story isn’t about intergalactic spacecraft or imaginary universes. Instead, it highlights how two versions of reality can exist simultaneously: the one revealed to the public and the one the government keeps in a secure vault.

What follows is a deeper look at the Black Skies exercises, why they matter, and what evidence exists that these tests are more secretive than the average training operation.

What the “Black Skies” exercises really are

The U.S. Space Force, along with Air Force units and allied partners, has conducted a series of exercises called Black Skies over the last few years. These live training events focus on:

• Electronic warfare
• Satellite signal disruption and defense
• Command and control under contested conditions
• Counterspace preparedness

One official iteration, BLACK SKIES 22, took place from September 19–23, 2022 across multiple locations including Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and strategic facilities in Colorado. The aim was to rehearse offensive and defensive operations involving electromagnetic systems and joint command structures.

Another iteration, BLACK SKIES 23-3, concluded on September 22, 2023, involving the largest-ever joint space electromagnetic warfare exercise conducted by the Space Force.

These aren’t simulated video game drills. They are intensive live exercises involving real personnel, advanced systems, and sensitive operational tactics designed to prepare forces for a future where space and electromagnetic domains are battlegrounds.

But as remarkable as this is, what makes it explosive isn’t just the nature of the events — it’s how much is not made public.

Why the public record is thin

Official press releases and public announcements focus on high-level objectives and leadership quotes. They rarely reveal:

• Precise test locations
• Detailed mission objectives
• Equipment performance results
• Any systems that might be classified

That lack fuels speculation.

For example, an exercise that took place in late September 2022 was described publicly in broad terms — emphasizing enhanced readiness and joint participation — but absent were details about the specific technologies simulated or disrupted, or which platforms and systems were involved.

Military training involving emerging technology — particularly electromagnetic warfare — by its nature tends to be classified. But when official summaries omit even the scope of the tools or methods tested, it creates a feeling that something larger is happening behind closed doors.

That’s exactly the environment where even seasoned analysts begin to sense a parallel layer of military reality outside the view of standard news.

What evidence exists of undisclosed tests

While the military has shared some information about Black Skies, several patterns hint at deeper, lesser-known layers:

1. Official reports mention broad objectives only

Space Force press releases about BLACK SKIES 23-3 on September 22, 2023 confirmed that the exercise had taken place and described it as the largest joint electromagnetic warfare operation.

That fact alone confirms the existence and scale of these events. But the release did not disclose:

• The specific tools and technologies tested
• The training range design
• The scenarios simulated
• The locations where some tests occurred

This partial disclosure is standard for sensitive military activity.

2. Exercises span multiple phases and iterations

Exercises in 2022 and 2023 showed a deliberate progression — from rehearsal of command procedures in Black Skies 22 to larger joint exercises in Black Skies 23-3.

Yet none of the official summaries detail the full set of participating units or the scope of electromagnetic warfare scenarios — such as resisting satellite jamming or spoofing.

That’s exactly the kind of detail that stays off official pages when experiments intersect with classified technology.

3. Classified testing ranges likely used

The United States has test ranges such as Tonopah Test Range and the Nevada Test and Training Range — known historically for top-secret aviation and electronic warfare experiments. These sites often host highly classified projects that never get formal public listings.

The existence of these ranges and their historical use for covert experimentation — from high-performance aircraft tests to electronic warfare drills — underscores how exercises like Black Skies can occur without broad disclosure.

A reality split — public vs. operational truth

When the military announces an exercise like Black Skies, it provides a public-facing narrative focused on readiness, joint teamwork, and capability development.

But behind that narrative lies an operational reality that often remains undisclosed:

• Full scope of systems tested
• Specific adversary scenarios
• What was learned
• Technical performance insights

This isn’t an accusation of deception — it’s a structural reality of national defense. Sensitive capabilities and potential vulnerabilities are invariably shielded from public release for security reasons.

Nevertheless, the gap — between what is confirmed and what is kept hidden — is wide enough to spark questions.

And once the public begins to sense that two layers of activity exist — the disclosed and the undisclosed — the story becomes much more compelling.

Why this matters now

In early 2024 and 2025, space and electromagnetic domains have become strategic priority areas for U.S. defense policy. Rival nations are investing heavily in counterspace and electronic warfare capabilities.

In this context, exercises like Black Skies are not just training events — they’re shaping the future of warfare readiness.

But because details are withheld, the public narrative doesn’t reflect the full scale of preparation underway.

That disconnect fuels speculation, and in the absence of clarity, the imagination fills in the gaps — often amplifying even innocuous classifications into grand mysteries.

This is not a path to unfounded theories; it’s the consequence of siloed information in an era where technology outpaces disclosure norms.

The bottom line

The U.S. Space Force and allied military units have conducted what are called Black Skies exercises — intensive electromagnetic warfare and space readiness drills — with major iterations on September 19–23, 2022 and September 22, 2023.

Public accounts confirm their existence and general purpose. But the specifics — exact test parameters, classified locations, and technologies examined — remain mostly off the official record.

That’s not necessarily unusual in defense circles.

What is unusual is how little context is provided, leaving a public narrative that feels incomplete alongside a classified reality that remains inaccessible.

And when two versions of events coexist — the revealed and the withheld — it creates the unmistakable impression that there’s much more going on than meets the eye.