Posted on 12/17/2014 7:16:29 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
U.S. Air Force Col. William Pitts stands in front of an unmanned aerostat that is part of a new U.S. military cruise-missile defense system during a media preview on Dec. 17, 2014, in Middle River, Md.
Patrick Semansky/AP
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MIDDLE RIVER, Md. -- The Army showed off a blimp-like airship Wednesday that is designed to help the military detect and destroy cruise missiles speeding toward the nation's capital or other major East Coast cities.
The radar-toting vehicle will be launched next week as part of a three-year test of the system at Aberdeen Proving Ground, about 25 miles northeast of Baltimore.
When fully deployed next spring, the system will feature two, unmanned, helium-filled aerostats, tethered to concrete pads 4 miles apart. They'll float at an altitude of 10,000 feet, about one-third as high as a commercial airliner's cruising altitude.
One balloon will continuously scan in a circle from upstate New York to North Carolina's Outer Banks, and as far west as central Ohio. The other will carry precision radar to help the military on the ground to pinpoint targets.
(Excerpt) Read more at stripes.com ...
ICBM cruise missiles, huh? Riiiiiiight.
Yep....that’s an Army blimp. You can tell by the big balls.
I mean big radar dome.
Cutting edge WWI technology.
Aerostat ping
There has been one on station at Key West for 40+ years. If you look on the VFR chart for the area, it is marked.
The electronics may be new, the platform isn’t.
Balls?
It looks pregnant ...
Laff away pal.
WWI surveillance changed the world.
Sometimes that works to your advantage.
Half the girls at Harvard saw that photo and ran to the nearest Army recruiting station. All the males at Harvard went along to sign up with them.
I’m sorry, NorthMountain, but I’m afraid you missed at least one day of Biology class.
How old is the technology of fences?
Well it can also be used to look down at the priso... er, population, during... er, emergencies. That's it - emergencies.
For the children.
True enough.
Most wont even see it looking as they stare at their iphones.
Dude ... it’s about to give birth to a bouncing baby blimp.
Seems the emperor is afraid someone inside the US will nuke him, the blimps aren’t needed for mirv vehicles like our real nuclear enemies use. And we thought having a food taster was paranoid lolol.
Absolutely. I am a big believer in using mature technology that still works. No need to re-invent the wheel every time you want to roll something.
One thing not mentioned is these tethered platforms close the airspace around them, unlike a 2500’ tower, You can see and avoid the tower, that cable is all but invisible, and the wind moves it around from day to day.
At least they are not manned.
Every military blimp made was lost or destroyed and many good men died - never was a good idea.
That tether is high tech magic, and it can bring baby home in bad weather.
Global Hawk is not ready for primetime and is expensive.
It is a waste of resources for a fixed border.
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