In late December, an antinuclear blimp departed into the sky from Aberdeen Proving Grounds. This is just one of two missile-defense aerostats created by the army. The second will go airborne in late winter or early spring. According to the Associated Press, one aerostat will survey the area and the other will be equipped with radar.
“It has a tether cord, so it isn’t exactly a blimp,” says senior Alec Presley. “Honestly, I feel like it has the potential to make people panic. In some ways, this entire issue is being blown out of proportion.”
These helium-filled units are technically called an “aerostat.” According to the U.S. Army, the aerostats can detect cruise missiles in cities like New York, Washington D.C. and Baltimore. They will survey areas from New York to North Carolina to Ohio, as well as out into the sea. They monitor for missiles, rockets and drones.
The aerostats can be seen by the Baltimore and Harford Counties. According to the Baltimore Sun, the Army has strongly reassured residents of both counties that the aerostats are not being used to “spy on them.” Neither aerostats will be equipped with cameras, reported Fox News.
That’s not the only concern from the counties residents. Some are worried that the aerostat will disrupt the environment it hovers over. According to FOX, military officials assured that the project designers took great care in designing the aerostats. Environmentally sensitive areas, such as wetlands and the eagle population will be protected.
According to the U.S. Army, these aerostats are part of a three-year plan. The military wants to see how well the units work with the defense technology systems over a large area. Air Force Times reported that this project has costed about $2.8 million and Congress has already approved $43.3 million for the test in December. According to Air Force Times, these units will cost five to seven times less than their previous defense systems and will hopefully be more effective.