Congress Cuts $30M From JLENS Program

BALTIMORE (WJZ)-More trouble for the JLENS surveillance blimp.

Congress is now slashing its funding, a decision threatening the future of the program.

WJZ's Tracey Leong explains what this means.

Dispatch recordings capturing the chaotic moments after the military blimp escaped in October.

The blimp broke free in Aberdeen, drifting more than 150 miles into rural Pennsylvania.

"It was like the white blimp of death, it was like right over top of me, it was like you could reach out and touch the blimp," said one witness.

The blimp damaged electrical wires and buildings along its path with a mile long cable dragging behind.

As the government investigates how it broke free, Congress has decided to cut $30 million out of the budget for the JLENS program.

"It is appropriate because JLENS right now is being looked at, investigated, to make a determination, whether that is the right technology to protect our country," said Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger.

The Army radar blimp was only in a testing phase when it made the dramatic breakaway.

Designed to detect low flying missile threats, the program has been criticized for being a waste of money and unreliable.

While the future of JLENS remains a question many argue the need for protection remains a priority.

"I'm worried about ISIS being 200 miles out in the ocean and have the ability to shoot a cruise missile under the radar, we need to detect that to protect our communities from those attacks, it's a very dangerous world out there," said Ruppersberger.

The steep budget cut leaves JLENS with $10.5 million, but could still be eliminated completely.

A second blimp part of the JLENS program has been grounded pending the investigation.