A new kind of surveillance craft known as Aerostats may soon be appearing in American skies. Aerostats, are lighter-than-air craft that are tethered to the ground — are to be set aloft on Army-owned land about 45 miles northeast of Washington, near Aberdeen Proving Ground, for a three-year test slated to start in October.
From a vantage of 10,000 feet, they will cast a vast radar net from Raleigh, N.C., to Boston and out to Lake Erie, with the goal of detecting cruise missiles or enemy aircraft so they could be intercepted before reaching the capital. This, in response to a perceived gap in missile defense coverage in the area.
Aerostats have been used by the military before, most recently in Afghanistan and Iraq where they have seen service in the protection of our military bases in those parts of the world, and these typically carried powerful surveillance cameras to track the movements of suspected insurgents and even U.S. soldiers.
From a vantage of 10,000 feet, they will cast a vast radar net from Raleigh, N.C., to Boston and out to Lake Erie, with the goal of detecting cruise missiles or enemy aircraft so they could be intercepted before reaching the capital. This, in response to a perceived gap in missile defense coverage in the area.
Aerostats have been used by the military before, most recently in Afghanistan and Iraq where they have seen service in the protection of our military bases in those parts of the world, and these typically carried powerful surveillance cameras to track the movements of suspected insurgents and even U.S. soldiers.
