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Army surveillance over Maryland: Giant blimps to begin three-year test
The Washington Times ^ | December 17, 2014 | Douglas Ernst

Posted on 12/18/2014 10:07:23 AM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

One of the U.S. Army’s giant surveillance blimps will rise to 10,000 feet above Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland on Friday for a three-year test. A second aircraft will begin testing in January.

The Army’s Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System (JLENS), which is built by Raytheon, will be tested for its ability to identify incoming enemy aircraft.

“This will enable senior defense officials to support a determination whether to transition JLENS capabilities to an enduring mission at the conclusion of the three-year operational exercise,” the North American Aerospace Defense Command said in a statement on Tuesday, military.com reported.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Russia; US: Maryland; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: aircraft; army; bigbrother; incoming; jlens; missiles; radar
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There was a really good article on FOX News about this blimp also.
1 posted on 12/18/2014 10:07:23 AM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
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To: Abundy; Albion Wilde; AlwaysFree; AnnaSASsyFR; bayliving; BFM; Bigg Red; cindy-true-supporter; ...

Maryland “Freak State” PING!


2 posted on 12/18/2014 10:08:27 AM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (The mods stole my tagline.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

because Maryland is suspicious and needs to be watched unlike communist Cuba


3 posted on 12/18/2014 10:09:14 AM PST by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Why do I suspect that this is a deployment and not a test? The Russians announced they were building cruise missiles again and here we roll out a defense against cruise missiles that’s conveniently located where it can protect Washington DC.

Pure coincidence, I’m sure.


4 posted on 12/18/2014 10:10:40 AM PST by MeganC (It took Democrats four hours to deport Elian Gonzalez)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

They finally found a job for Barbara A. Mikulski ?.........................


5 posted on 12/18/2014 10:15:41 AM PST by Red Badger (If you compromise with evil, you just get more evil..........................)
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To: Red Badger
Chris Christie photo: skydiver 396327_2859333796314_1048732257_2945598_1928029598_n.jpg
6 posted on 12/18/2014 10:18:57 AM PST by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

I saw this in Olney last year, TSR. Whenever I read the government state, “to begin”.. I think it has been doing so for a while. IMHO.


7 posted on 12/18/2014 10:20:10 AM PST by momtothree
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Three years is a long time to stay in the air...


8 posted on 12/18/2014 10:26:18 AM PST by WayneS (Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Fire up the blimp-mounted facial recognition software.


9 posted on 12/18/2014 10:27:36 AM PST by moovova
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To: GeronL

Aberdeen is one of 3 Army test facilities. The other 2 are in Yuma AZ and Dugway UT. there has ben an aerostat blimp over Yuma Proving Ground for the last 20 years. It is the precursor to the one in the article. No tinfoil need be harmed due to this story.


10 posted on 12/18/2014 10:31:27 AM PST by sean327 (God created all men equal, then some become Marines!)
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To: sean327

That doesn’t change the fact that Baltimore can NOT be trusted! :p


11 posted on 12/18/2014 10:34:43 AM PST by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

The Emperor will be most pleased.


12 posted on 12/18/2014 10:34:57 AM PST by cld51860 (Volo pro veritas)
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To: sean327

The Army has many more than three test facilities. For example, a lot of helicopter testing is done at Redstone Technical Test Center on Redstone Arsenal, AL. Then there is White Sands. There are others.


13 posted on 12/18/2014 10:51:08 AM PST by DugwayDuke (Principles without power aren't worth spit.)
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To: DugwayDuke
Yep. We live close enough to Redstone to hear the rocket motor tests
and the ordnance demolition...
14 posted on 12/18/2014 10:56:57 AM PST by gov_bean_ counter (Romans 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Wow. Obama mocked Romney for talking about supposedly outdated military hardware, and now we are trumpeting blimps?


15 posted on 12/18/2014 10:58:24 AM PST by PghBaldy (12/14 - 930am -rampage begins... 12/15 - 1030am - Obama's advance team scouts photo-op locations.)
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To: DugwayDuke

I should have said Proving Ground instead of test facility.
Coffee pot bit the dust at work today.


16 posted on 12/18/2014 10:58:41 AM PST by sean327 (God created all men equal, then some become Marines!)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

I live a mile or two from the main gate of Aberdeen Proving Ground. I expect that I’ll see the blimp often. Course, we see lots if weird stuff and hear lots of loud booms.

I know many people who work in research there. None of them bear the demonic personalities the conspiracy nuts claim. Mainly patriots serving their country. Some are brilliant engineers, mathematicians and scientists who could make plenty in the private sector.


17 posted on 12/18/2014 11:05:05 AM PST by cyclotic (Join America's premier outdoor adventure association for boys-traillifeusa.com)
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To: PghBaldy

Giant blimps? Incoming enemy aircraft? I must be in some sort of time warp; suddenly it’s 1930. Oops, gotta go. My wife’s got her hand caught in the washing machine wringers again!


18 posted on 12/18/2014 11:14:42 AM PST by beelzepug (You can't fix a broken washing machine by washing more expensive clothes in it.)
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To: cyclotic
It always tickles me when the tin foil hat legion starts to hyperventilate. These people are the left’s best useful idiots.

I suspect that if this test is successful that more will appear up and down the east and west coast. Former Army coast defense forts that have been inactive since WW2 will be taken back from State/private control.

19 posted on 12/18/2014 11:15:22 AM PST by fireforeffect (A kind word and a 2x4, gets you more than just a kind word.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Those people in DC are so important we need blimps over the city to deter a Cruise missile attack?


20 posted on 12/18/2014 11:15:26 AM PST by animal172 (Calling Thomas Jefferson)
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