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US Pentagon Plans For a Spy Blimp
nloop writes "The Pentagon is intending to develop a new spy ship — a dirigible. At 65,000 feet it would provide a 10 year, solar power based, unblinkingly intricate and continuous view of the surface via radar surveillance. Because of its altitude it would be safe from surface-to-air missiles and most aircraft. A 1/3-scale prototype, now being designed, is 'known as ISIS, for Integrated Sensor Is the Structure, because the radar system will be built into the structure of the ship. ... 'If successful, the dirigible... could pave the way for a fleet of spy airships, military officials said.'"
China works on 'giant slingshots' armed with darts to combat the US spying mission.
and I thought that model rocketry was dead.
) Human Kind Vs Human Creation
) It'd be interesting to see how many humans would survive to serve us.
The last project trying to revive the blimp ended by having to transform the hangar into a tropical bath. Good luck.
I for one welcome our steampunk overlords.
Do you have any idea how expensive a military-grade pointed stick costs? We're the only military superpower at the moment, and I doubt Russia or China are going to be able to afford a functioning pointed stick any time soon.
Yes those laser armed taliban have been a real problem.
Floating cannon battles with the Ron Paul blimp.
The engineers don't have to seem as silly now that they get to put the purestrain gold shells to good use. Hard to starboard!
You're no fun.
How about a higher altitude dirigible with a magnifying glass? Lasery enough?
I'm out of any more bright ideas.
Tsunami -- You can't bring a good wave down!
No no no! Stick to your guns, man! Take your original idea, fuse it with OP, multiply it with a well-known meme, and whaddya have?
AIRBORNE, frickin' anti-aircraft sharks with laser beams!
I'm actually much more partial to that idea. The magnifying glass idea is just ridiculous.
Cue the black helicopters and scary X-files music.
no no no .. it is solar powered. If you are going to screw with it from above you need a giant umbrella.
I could be wrong, but I don't think radar would be a very effective means of spying on the general populace...
On the general populace - no. Tinfoil hat wearers, on the other hand...