Operating without the knowledge of the American people and even Congress, a report reveals that the Pentagon is running a 60,000 top-secret army composed of soldiers, contractors, and even civilians across the world, hiding in different companies and utilizing false identities.

Even with its size and budget, Congress has never held a hearing related to establishing an undercover army.

According to Newsweek, the report mentioned that the top-secret army which was created by the Pentagon over the past 10 years reached not less than $900 million in terms of its cost as it is only a part of a program called 'signature reduction.' Members of The top-secret army were assigned not only in the United States but also abroad while maintaining a low profile in carrying out their assignments.

Based on New York Post, the report shows that the secret army is 10 times higher compared to the size of the covert elements of the CIA. Members assigned to local operations in regions like Africa and the Middle East already reached around 130 private companies.

Half of the Secret Army is Comprised of Special Forces

Almost half of the secret army's population is composed of special forces. The majority of the program is comprised of highly-trained commandos pursuing terrorists across the world, including countries like Iran and North Korea. Military intelligence specialists ranked second in numbers.

But there is a new group established in the unit, and it is growing rapidly. They are reportedly composed of cyber-warriors who use false personas online and utilize misattribution or non-attribution techniques to disguise themselves in tracking high-value targets. Besides that, they also collect publicly accessible information and manipulate social media by engaging in influential campaigns.

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In addition, administered by several shadowy government organizations, the 'signature reduction' programs have no unclassified definition. The report also mentioned that the programs act as a shield for operators from being identified by groups who are tracking them online while covering their cyber tracks to avoid any retaliation.

Meanwhile, a senior official who recently retired oversaw one of the programs shared that nobody is fully aware of their extent or their implications for military warfare. The retired officer mentioned in Newsweek that most people have not even heard of the term 'signature reduction.'

However, there have been instances where undercover agents for the programs have been caught. In May 2013, Moscow ordered that a 'third secretary' under the name of Ryan Fogle should leave their country for recruiting Russian agents to work with the CIA, The Sun reported.

Later on, the Russian Intelligence released photos of him wearing a blond wig and carrying four pairs of sunglasses, a Swiss Army knife, a compass, a street map, a flashlight, and a cellphone.

The expulsion of Fogle in Russia attracted the attention of the international news media. It also brought scorn from retired officials of the CIA due to the lacking tradecraft in Fogle's case. But later on, the mocked cellphone of Fogle was discovered that hid a more sophisticated device.

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WATCH: The Pentagon's Secret Army: Pentagon operates 60,000-strong secret force | Latest English News - WION