Nut-job Conspiracy Theory Ping!
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Posted on 01/28/2013 8:17:09 AM PST by 11th_VA
As the U.S. government continues to expand surveillance and monitoring systems to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars within the borders of the United States, a recent announcement regarding the country’s southern air defense systems is raising eyebrows.
Our southern border is, in part, protected by the Tethered Aerostat Radar System (TARS), which utilizes moored balloons hovering at about 15,000 feet to identify low flying aircraft and missiles that may penetrate the border and cross into U.S. airspace.
The system is utilized by the U.S. Air Force, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for a number of missions including detection of drug smuggling and preservation of the air sovereignty of the continental United States.
According to Exelis Systems Corporation, the company that built and jointly maintains TARS with the U.S. Air Force, the government has ordered a complete shutdown of Aerostat flight operations:
The government also indicated its intent that aerostat flight operations will cease on March 15, 2013, and that the remainder of the fiscal year will be used to deflate aerostats, disposition equipment, and prepare sites for permanent closure. We are currently reviewing all the details of the RfP and evaluating the possible impacts on the program and our workforce. We continue to communicate with the government on this matter, and we will have more information in the coming days and weeks.
An Exelis employee close to the TARS project had this to say about the closure of the sites:
“Not only will this closure mean hundreds of people will be out of jobs, but it also means our borders will not be safe, especially along the remote U.S. Mexico Border like in Texas.
These defense radars detect low flying aircraft infiltrating our borders.
Without these defense radars, low flying aircraft will go undetected.
It will be open season for any drug/gun/slave smugglers, terrorists flying in with nukes, low altitude missiles, or even a full scale low elevation invasion/attack against America.”
With China actively and openly deploying Russian-made low altitude strategic bombers, designing EMP weapons capable of disabling the country’s power grid infrastructure, and establishing economic zones within the United States, it’s difficult to imagine the motivation behind the move to further weaken U.S. air defenses on the southern border.
If September 11, 2001 was any indication of our air defense capabilities, and considering that any ground invasion of the United States would originate on our southern border, then wouldn’t we want as many early warning systems as possible to be actively protecting our country in these specific areas?
The U.S. government has chosen to shutdown this outward facing surveillance system, and has instead turned the surveillance inward, on the American people.
Sequestration happens in March, so the March 15 shutdown date suggests that this is a result of sequestration. Typical Rat behavior, shut down the useful programs that everyone likes (scare the voters) but keep the patronage programs. One part of sequestration was military cuts, the other part was an end to extended unemployment benefits. I'll bet dollars to donuts the benefits are not cut.
According to Exelis Systems Corporation, the company that built and jointly maintains TARS with the U.S. Air Force, the government has ordered a complete shutdown of Aerostat flight operations...
ping
Our military's busy acting like Peace Corps members on speed - CIA's playing kissey face with Radical Muslims and the FBI's being stripped of power...
That's my guess...
Oh, and liberal elites? They're raking in the cash - much too busy with that and giving jobs to family members to notice..("you want a regulation changed that will give your company an extra 800 million a year? Meet me across the street with a big fat donation")
Have you seen this?
The system is utilized by the U.S. Air Force, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for a number of missions including detection of drug smuggling and preservation of the air sovereignty of the continental United States.
According to Exelis Systems Corporation, the company that built and jointly maintains TARS with the U.S. Air Force, the government has ordered a complete shutdown of Aerostat flight operations.
I think ROTHR is replacing TARS, long distance coverage not only of air targets but of marine targets in the Gulf.
Good idea! I would add that Texas will probably have to have some kind of VISA system for any non-resident to enter the State.
Why is is that almost every action Obama takes almost requires a Prepper ping these days?
WTF Ping!
what could possibly go wrong with this? So someone could jam a nuke up our ass now and we wouldnt know till it was too late?
FMCDH(BITS)
Thank you MestaMachine for the Ping.
And what kind of low life crap is this? What is it being replaced with, if anything?
What——
Humm. Let me contact D.C.
Nut-job Conspiracy Theory Ping!
To get onto The Nut-job Conspiracy Theory Ping List you must threaten to report me to the Mods if I don’t add you to the list...
I can vouch for this.
We were in west Texas (near Marfa) and the tethered balloon that has been there for years, is gone.
Same with Congressman Long”s office
They had heard nothing.
That’s one way President Hate America can take it to Texas.
I found this bit of info on the website for Pedro Pierluisi, who at some point was a House Democrat,,not sure if he is still is. He is from Puerto Rico. The site is http://pierluisi.house.gov/english/congressional-caucus.html
The specific language in the report accompanying the Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2013, approved late last week, is as follows:
“The Committee is aware that internal interagency discussions are again underway related to the administration of the Tethered Aerostat Radar System (TARS) program. TARS surveillance data is used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and by the Joint Interagency Task Force-South in support of border security and counter-drug operations. The aerostats, while still under the responsibility of the Air Force, have not been maintained for a number of reasons. However, the Committee believes that an alternative means of supporting operational needs for surveillance data has yet to be deployed. For that reason, the Committee is concerned about the reduced capability, particularly in the Caribbean, and encourages the Secretary of Defense to work with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other interagency partners to develop a short term solution to address reduced capability as well as the right long term solution—whether that is transfer of assets, repair of current assets, replacement with other technology or capability, or other solutions.”
Has nothing to do with stupid. Has everything to do with destroying America as planned.
Just wait until the end of his second term, when he starts giving away all of our military and nuclear technology.
Not exactly huge news. In fact, it should have been shut down years ago. We still have the air and space sensor systems alive and well.
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