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High-Tech Blimps Earning Their Wings

Posted by samzenpus on from the truly-goodyear dept.

coondoggie writes "The US Army this week showed off its latest high-tech blimp laden with powerful radar systems capable of detecting incoming threats 340 miles away. The helium-filled blimps, or aerostats, are designed to hover over war zones or high-security areas and be on guard for incoming missiles or other threats. The Army wants them to reduce some of the need for manned and unmanned reconnaissance flights. The aerostat demonstrated this week is known as the Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Sensor System (JLENS), which is designed to fly up to an altitude of 10,000 feet. According to GlobalSecurity.org., the $1.4 billion JLENS is a large, unpowered elevated sensor moored to the ground by a long cable. From its position above the battlefield, the elevated sensors will allow incoming cruise missiles to be detected, tracked, and engaged by surface-based air defense systems even before the targets can be seen by the systems."

5 of 200 comments (clear)

  1. blimps by buswolley · · Score: 2, Funny

    I know they lose brain matter an all..but now they're floating?

    --

    A Good Troll is better than a Bad Human.

    1. Re:Blimps by ColdWetDog · · Score: 3, Funny

      And of course the Taliban has a bunch of high powered lasers hidden throughout the mountains of Afghanistan. But wait. How are the sharks going to survive in that desert environment?

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
  2. Re:Shoot down at 10,000 feet is easy by MynockGuano · · Score: 5, Funny

    I hate to pop your balloon (pun intended) but 10,000 feet is not that high. In World War 2 the Germans had anti-aircraft guns that could easily get to much over 20,000 feet. Many cheap modern shoulder held anti-aircraft missiles can easily shoot this high and a blimp would be easy to hit. It might be safe from small arms fire but a few small holes wouldn't hurt it much. An anti-aircraft missile is another matter.

    True.
    Blimpin' ain't easy.

  3. Re:Irresponsible waste of nonrenewable resources by timeOday · · Score: 2, Funny

    There was already a bubble in the helium futures market. It didn't exactly burst, it just floated away...

  4. blimp laden by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    > latest high-tech blimp laden with

    > blimp laden

    > blimps laden with radars to find Osama Blimp Laden?