Posted on 10/28/2015 11:20:08 AM PDT by smoothsailing
October 28, 2015
A Defense Department balloon — unmanned, untethered and carrying a missile detection system — drifted harmlessly across the skies of Lancaster County early Wednesday afternoon.
Dragging a 5,000-foot-long chain, the blimp-like balloon broke free from its base at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, and headed north.
“At 12:26 p.m., we were notified that it was over Lancaster County, drifting northwards,” Randy Gockley, director of the Lancaster County Emergency Management Agency, said.
“At 12:57, the military aircraft following it confirmed that it was near Reading,” he said. “By 1:15, we were notified that it was over Port Clinton, Schuylkill County.”
According to an email from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency’s State Emergency Operations Center, the blimp-like balloon — 34 meters in diameter — broke its tether and drifted north at an altitude of about 6,000 feet.
It is, according to the email, “carrying defense equipment,” although it wasn’t immediately clear what type of equipment that might be.
Gockley said the balloon was being tracked by two F-16 military jets out of Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Although initial reports from PEMA said the balloon was descending, Gockley said it had risen to about 15,000 feet by the time it crossed the line into Berks County.
The concern, Gockley said, was a sudden drop in altitude.
“With the rain conditions and the wind, nobody was sure if it would suddenly descend,” he said.
PEMA said federal agencies have aircraft attempting to track the balloon, but their efforts are being hampered by weather conditions.
West Hempfield Township police also posted an alert noting the “unmanned aerostat” is carrying “the Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System.”
A device designed to gradually deflate the balloon did not appear to be working, according to the alert.
The website for JLENS developer Raytheon, the equipment is a “blimp-borne radar system” carrying “powerful radars” to protect a region from airborne threats.
Glad to see the codpiece is back in fashion.
LOL!
I doubt this could have “broken” loose. Probably a ROPer doing his thing for the space program.
Paint it and use it in the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade: Chris Christie
F-16’s are flying around it. Why not helicopters?
My thoughts exactly.
Helicopters are too ugly. They'll frighten the blimp.
#Amishlivesmatter
hmmm, this is getting near my neck of the woods... I wouldn’t mind taking this as a trophy
I live about ten miles from their tether point. I’m sure it floated right over my house.
I work form home and heard lots of sirens about then. We also had a brief power outage. I wonder if the tether snagged a power line.
No helicopters because their 'down-draft' from rotors would bring it down to earth .
Why would they do that when they can float a balloon over citizens so that they know that they are 'protected' by Homelieland Security .
with advanced technology from 80 years ago !
Now ,... don't you feel more comfortaqble and secure ? /s
It’s now in Bloomsburg area LOL and has knocked out traffic lights in the area.
They want school buses off the roads because the cables are a foot thick and hanging.
"It is, according to the email, “carrying defense equipment,” although it wasn’t immediately clear what type of equipment that might be."
i.e., because getting away from it fast is... important...
How The Hell can they see it? It’s pouring like a moonshiner emptying his tanks.
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