A $175M Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System blimp (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/JLENS) broke loose from its moorings and dragged a long (some say a mile-long) electrified cable across portions of Maryland and Pennsylvania this afternoon. Up to 30,0000 locations lost electrical power as lines were pulled down and a pole was broken. Let's not ask why the US Army believes it is necessary to hoist a cruise defense missIle blimp over Maryland, which is part of the territorial USA. Conspiracy theories: could the NSA have listening spy gear to evesdrop on the DC populace? Let's not ask why F16 fighter jets had to be scrambled from several facilities as far away as Atlantic City. Some news reporters were saying the blimp was explosive and could not be shot down. DoD Secretary holds a press conference and says the JLENS blimps don't work in Afghanistan. Local talk shows were a hoot, with sighting calls. One can't make this stuff up. Blimpgate may well outclass game 2 of the World Series and the Republican debate tonight. http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2015/10/28/f-16s-tracking-blimp-loose/74746356/ http://www.theverge.com/2015/10/28/9630386/runaway-blimp-pennsylvania-jlens-aberdeen-proving-ground http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/10/28/blimp-loose-twitter-reacts/74749060/ Chortle. Snicker...
I have always said real life is more interesting then fiction! Oh dear that is an interesting read, somehow I never came across that one this morning.
Scooter, you think someone will be reprimanded for not knowing how to tie an overhand knot as taught in the Boy Scouts? Heh. The blimp ascended to altitudes of 15,000 or 16,000 feet at some points in its flight to safety from extradition in Canada. The evening MSM television news said it was a 10,000 foot mooring cable that dragged the ground at times until the blimp came down in Northeast Pennsylvania. The MSM further said military helicopters were dispatched to secure the the crash scene and recover secret surveillance equipment. Scratch $175M? Insurance, anyone? Let's see if Alex Jones will have the inside scoop about NSA involvement on his Infowars show. But let's not ask about federal budget excesses, spending or why we need two US Army cruise missle defense blimps floating over eastern Maryland in view of Washington. Space invaders? Paranoia? Incredulous.
Heh, seconds after posting the above we had a power failure here. I guess the aliens in the blimp landed in the neighborhood. Fooled 'em, UPS kept the router on line...
It's these sorts of stories of blunder that I love! I can imagine it wasn't so funny for the people who lost power though, and why, just why did it need fighter aircraft to "escort" it? And the military still using blimps as a form of anti-air deterrent reminds me of pictures of all the barrage balloons over London during Battle of Britain. What ever works I suppose
There is breaking news on the JLENS blimp front. The Pentagon woke up. Amazing. Fox News: Pentagon reportedly suspends missle defense program behind the runaway blimp. WBAL-Baltimore: Pentagon to suspend JLENS blimp program. Los Angeles Times: Pentagon suspends troubled missile defense system at center of 'runaway blimp'. OK, fair enough. It took a while to wind the shutdown process through the multiple rings, floors and offices of the Pentagon. Taxpayers ought to be mad as h--- that 17 years of taxpayer money to the tune of $2.7 billion was spent on this ludicrous project. The Baltimore Sun wrote an interesting investigative piece, well worth reading in my opinion. Pulitzer, anyone? On another level... well ok... my conspiratorial mind wants to know: Is there an untold conspiracy story out there? Alex Jones? Anyone? How much taxpayer money went to NSA over the years to spy on cellphone communications in Washington? Where is the evesdropping equipment now being moved to? Who are the targets? Can't make this stuff up. Guess I will have to wait for the movie.
The theories don't matter because the government doesn't reveal their precious secrets to the people living in their country. It's not surprising this happened.
