Free Republic

The U.S. military has begun testing massive high-tech dirigibles — designed to provide battlefield commanders with a bird's-eye view of cruise missiles or other threats — in the skies over the Utah desert. An unmanned 242-foot-long balloon was launched Wednesday morning about 80 miles west of Salt Lake City. It stayed aloft for about three hours before it was pulled back down as planned, according to Paula Nicholson, a spokeswoman for Dugway Proving Ground. Vast tracts of military-owned desert were chosen for the testing because of their remoteness and resemblance to the mountainous, arid environment of Afghanistan, the military said...

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The lumbering, low-tech observation balloon, first used on Civil War battlefields, is making a comeback in Iraq (news - web sites). But this time around it's packed with zoom-lens video cameras and thermal imagers. AP Photo The unmanned craft — which look like smaller versions of the Goodyear blimp — monitor battle zones and other danger spots. They're also used to detect possible ambushes on roads used by multinational forces. On a recent evening in Baghdad, three balloons floated over the Green Zone that houses Iraq's interim government, as well as the U.S. and other foreign missions...