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.'"

Comments

We have corporate jetting Nancy Pelosi

[zymano]

She spends about as much time as that blimp in the air.

Re:No need for missiles

[Anonymous Coward]

Holland, Michigan. (AP) - A couple who ran a baby-sitting service out of their home videotaped themselves performing sex acts with children, some as young as 2 months old, police said Friday.
Rob Malda, 32, and Neil Pater, 34, both of Holland, Michigan, were being held on $100,000 bond in County Jail. Both faced preliminary charges of child molestation and child exploitation. Jail staff did not know whether either one had an attorney.

Police who searched the couple's home found a videotape depicting sex acts involving Malda and Pater and at least four different children between the ages of 2 months and 6 years old, said Holland County Sheriff's Deputy Bob Kemp. "In 15 years of doing this job, it's the worst thing I've ever seen or imagined," he told WRTV. "Just horrible, just horrible It's a new low."

Police searched the couple's home after the parents of a 3-year-old girl reported that she told them Malda and Pater had touched her inappropriately and photographed her at their home on Feb. 28.
Deputies seized several computers, cameras, a video camera, pornographic materials, drugs and drug paraphernalia. Several sex toys that appeared in the video were seized during a second search, police said.
Malda and Pater were arrested March 5.

Re:Laser

[SethJohnson]

If the blimp is going to provide any kind of valuable surveillance, it's likely to be photographic. So, the blimp works best when it can see unconcentrated sunlight reflecting from the ground. Lasers are focused light beams, which are even more effective at penetrating 65k ft. of atmosphere. Just working through the logic of your criticism of anti-blimp lasers....

Seth