NORAD blimp comes loose from tether

[M1152 713]

don't know if this was posted but still breaking news at the moment...

 

A JLENS blimp that has been tethered at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland has broken free Wednesday and is being tracked by two fighter jets traveling over Pennsylvania at 16,000 feet, a NORAD spokesman said.

 

[djg0770 481]

Great.  A loose blimp.  And you posted this because we don't also visit drudge or nj.com or?

[10X 3,321]

It is being discussed a lot on the pilot boards. Pilots hated this thing when it was tethered; even more now that it's loose with 6700' of 1" cable hanging below it. Can't wait for it to get low enough to start dragging across power lines.

 

The tethered blimp program was viewed as a $2.7 billion boondoggle even before this. And only the federal government would dispatch two F16s to keep an eye on its whereabouts. The private sector would have known that's a job for a local traffic reporter in a Cessna.

[Krdshrk 3,878]

It is being discussed a lot on the pilot boards. Pilots hated this thing when it was tethered; even more now that it's loose with 6700' of 1" cable hanging below it. Can't wait for it to get low enough to start dragging across power lines.

 

It already is - 20,000 without power in PA.  West of Scranton area...

[M1152 713]

 And you posted this because we don't also visit drudge or nj.com or?

 

thought it might be of interest since its knocking out power in PA, if don't like the post delete it..

[matty 810]

I work a couple days a week at APG, they JUST got the 2nd blimp operational (the system uses two), so for the last few weeks they have been floating there doing the Important Mission of convincing DC Beltway types that this is protecting them personally, so it should continue to be funded.

[alec.mc 180]

err no!

 

[Vlad G 345]

[maintenanceguy 510]

[jackandjill 683]

^^^ Love It :-) ... Think Of Politicians

[10X 3,321]

So, our defense system took down a good chunk of the power grid and snarled the airspace over major metropolitan areas?

 

Any number of terrorist organizations dream of someday being that effective.

[Handyman 5,682]

Um, how about they shoot a hole in the thing and bring it down? Or are they waiting from someone to jump up and pull on the cable?

[tattooo 220]

Cost 200 million bucks for that thing ???

[Teky0101 6]

What does it do?

[Vlad G 345]

So, our defense system took down a good chunk of the power grid and snarled the airspace over major metropolitan areas?

 

Any number of terrorist organizations dream of someday being that effective.

 

And it doesn't work, remember the guy that landed a small helicopter on lawn of the Capitol building? They should have probably seen that, assuming they were operational.

 

 

Um, how about they shoot a hole in the thing and bring it down? Or are they waiting from someone to jump up and pull on the cable?

 

Its like 3 tons. You probably don't want it falling on someone's house, so you probably don't want to randomly shoot it down.

 

What does it do?

 

Short version is that at least in theory it is supposed to detect low flying close range missile and aircraft. And probably spy on people as well.

[Krdshrk 3,878]

According to NORAD, the blimp "is mostly deflated and located in the vicinity of Moreland Township, Pennsylvania. 

 

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/28/politics/loose-blimp-norad-east-coast/index.html

[Malsua 1,422]

There was a picture of a some guy's field with a cable drag track.     That "super strong" cable was apparently, super heavy and not so strong.

 

Boy would I love about 300 feet of it .  Probably costs $10/foot.

[tattooo 220]

What does it do?

Detects threats - surveillance

[Krdshrk 3,878]

There was a picture of a some guy's field with a cable drag track.     That "super strong" cable was apparently, super heavy and not so strong.

 

Boy would I love about 300 feet of it .  Probably costs $10/foot.

 

I wanna see that picture... let me look around..

[Malsua 1,422]

I wanna see that picture... let me look around..

 

Here ya go.

 

[Krdshrk 3,878]

That'll do it - i kinda was expecting more dirt thrown around... but hey...  That's pretty bad already and especially crossing power lines... ouch.

[Smokin .50 1,907]

In answer to why F-16 Fighter aircraft scrambled:

1.  advanced avionics and radar/tracking

2.  able to stay "on station" via mid-air refueling with KC-135 and similar air tankers

3.  able to engage any threat(s) or attempts to capture on-board highly classified military electronic equipment with 20mm guns, air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles

4.  able to communicate speed & direction via both military and civilian radio frequencies to warn-off anything in its' flight path

5.  able to capture video images of entire situation both to document it for the DOD and for use as evidence in any eventual legal arena

6.  able to alter direction of blimp via high-speed, low-level passes used to "push" air towards it

 

 

Sure glad it's OVER.

[tattooo 220]

Here ya go.

 

Damn

[Krdshrk 3,878]

 

 

State police used shotguns Thursday to deflate a wayward surveillance blimp that broke loose in Maryland before coming down into trees in the Pennsylvania countryside.

http://abcnews.go.com/Weird/wireStory/army-blimp-breaks-loose-drifts-hours-pennsylvania-34814709

[Vlad G 345]

http://abcnews.go.com/Weird/wireStory/army-blimp-breaks-loose-drifts-hours-pennsylvania-34814709

 

 

I'm going to rush to arfcom and start a thread named "What caliber is best for giant wayward zeppelin?"

[Krdshrk 3,878]

[pjd832 146]

What does it do?

Take note specifically starting at 1:25 and forward...

 

Edited October 29, 2015 by Krdshrk
Fixed Embedded Youtube Link

[10X 3,321]

In answer to why F-16 Fighter aircraft scrambled:

 

1.  advanced avionics and radar/tracking

2.  able to stay "on station" via mid-air refueling with KC-135 and similar air tankers

3.  able to engage any threat(s) or attempts to capture on-board highly classified military electronic equipment with 20mm guns, air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles

4.  able to communicate speed & direction via both military and civilian radio frequencies to warn-off anything in its' flight path

5.  able to capture video images of entire situation both to document it for the DOD and for use as evidence in any eventual legal arena

6.  able to alter direction of blimp via high-speed, low-level passes used to "push" air towards it

 

 

Sure glad it's OVER.

I still think it was overkill scrambling two F16's.  I believe the operating costs for those are on the order of $25K/hour, each, and while the pilots do need flights to maintain currency, this wasn't a useful training mission.  

 

The military has advanced trainers, King Airs, etc. with all of the electronic capabilities described; I can't imagine a need for refueling when they could circle for hours, and the flight path never took them more than 15 minutes from an airport.

 

As for #4, sure, the electronics are likely highly classified, but against what armed threats might they need guns and missiles that far into US airspace?    #6 is interesting...did they do that?  I honestly don't know, but I'm having trouble picturing it as having more than a momentary effect.

[Vlad G 345]

All I know is that my tinfoil porkpie hat has been twitching a lot less since the balloon went on walkabout.

[tattooo 220]

Lol