Two blimps almost the length of a football field will be spying over DC's skies

Originally posted by csuldm
These things are going to be attached to the ground with 10,000 feet of "rope" between them and the ground?

We've been flying these for a long time down here in the Florida Keys.
We use them to monitor drug runners, and keep an eye on Cuba.
Tethered Aerostat Radar
Cudjoe Key Florida: “Fat Albert”

Originally posted by Olivine
This whole, "We are spying on our citizens for National Securty" is completely out of control.

While I agree with you about spying in general, this is the type of spying they should be doing as opposed to some of the more personally invasive stuff. These are for radar, and unless your made of metal or can reflect radar waves, its not going to be used for tracking you.

When I was active duty Coast Guard decades ago, this was called "Aero-stat". They were deployed in the Windward pass, towed by a tug, to detect drug runners. An HF data link on the flag ship controlled the sensors and collected, then distributed the data. I do mean early 1980's.

Only if you were submerged could you get through. That thing could pick up a wooden canoe at 90 miles radius. Bizarre multi-frequency "radar" setup.

if aircaft are the worry mabe some EC-130V AEW&C can be rebult like USCG used shud be cheapr than a

Super Large Blimp if for ABM radar use the Sea-Based X-Band Radar like we have in alaska

There are 2 of these off of interstate 80 just west of salt lake city Utah. They are visible from the highway.they are near Dug way.I see them every time I have a run out that way.

reply to post by TheNightSky


Those were the ones going to Washington. Utah was part of EUT 2 testing, where they kept them airborne for up to 20 days at a time to test their long term ability.

They'll move to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland in the Spring of 2014, with "Orbit 1".