Special Radar Blimps Coming To Baltimore
BALTIMORE (WJZ) --- People in Harford County and Baltimore counties will soon see one and later, two new objects in the sky. As Mike Schuh reports, special radar blimps will fly protecting the East Coast from attack.
What looks like a guppy being born, is a time lapse of a defensive shark. The size of a football field, this blimp's new home is in far eastern Baltimore county on the Aberdeen Proving Grounds. It's here because of these cruise missiles. Many countries sell them and currently the U.S. and our capitol is vulnerable.
"The enemy is always looking for a way as to how he can attack the U.S. and so when anyone can buy a cruise missile and put this on a ship or an air launch, there is a potential threat out there," 2-star General Bramhall said.
So for at least the next three years, two of these giants will be tethered with wire like this, over Baltimore and Harford counties. It will scan from New York to Norfolk. If a missile is detected, one of our missiles, from a plane or on the ground is to be sent up to intercept the enemy missile, hopefully making contact.
There are no cameras or recording devices on these. They are similar to radars that track commercial aircraft.
"We cab detect flying objects, but we can't detect the individual on the ground," General Bramhall said. "It's not designed for that."
When asked if it would look into people's backyards or vehicles, he said no.
"Absolutely not," General Bramhall said.
The blimps are not armed, but they are the eyes for missiles elsewhere.
Flying at 10-thousand ft., they let defenders look further offshore and give them more time to defend.
"You know I'd rather make a decision 12-15 minutes out rather than the thing pops up and I've got two to three minutes." General Bramhall said.
This one should fly sometime this week. A second one will be put in the air in late winter or early spring.
Though Congress recently cut some funding from this program, the general in charge tells Eyewitness news they have enough to prove whether the system will work.
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