WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army has lofted a blimp with a new cruise-missile and drone-fighting radar system at the Aberdeen Proving Ground.
The blimp — actually two helium-filled aerostats — floats 10,000 feet above the ground and carries radars that can detect cruise missiles hundreds of miles away. The blimp can stay in operation for 30 days.
The blimp is there to defend D.C. “and a Texas-sized portion of the East Coast from cruise missiles, drones and hostile aircraft,” said Dave Gulla, vice president of Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems’ Global Integrated Sensors business.
Also, the defense system can detect potential threats at extremely long ranges, giving defense officials more time to react appropriately, Gulla said.
But could it be used to spy on Americans?
The Army said there will be no cameras on the blimp, the radar cannot detect people, it can’t store information and it has no weapons.
The balloons will be in Aberdeen for a three-year test.
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