This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/28/us-army-blimp-breaks-free

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
US army blimp wreaks havoc after breaking free from military facility US army blimp wreaks havoc after breaking free from military facility
(35 minutes later)
A high-tech US army airship broke free from its mooring on Wednesday, wreaking havoc as it floated from Maryland to Pennsylvania, dragging its 10,000 foot long cable behind it and knocking out power to thousands.A high-tech US army airship broke free from its mooring on Wednesday, wreaking havoc as it floated from Maryland to Pennsylvania, dragging its 10,000 foot long cable behind it and knocking out power to thousands.
The US military scrambled two armed F16 fighter jets to keep watch as the blimp traveled into civilian airspace after coming loose shortly after mid-day from its mooring station at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, a US army facility 40 miles north-east of Baltimore. As it floated away, aviation officials feared it would endanger air traffic, and two F-16s were scrambled from a national guard base in New Jersey to track it. But there was never any intention of shooting it down, said navy captain Scott Miller, a spokesman for the nation’s air defense command.
It came down several hours later in two parts in Montour County, Pennsylvania, the US military’s North American Aerospace Defense Command (Norad) told reporters. The blimp which cannot be steered remotely eventually deflated and settled back to Earth on its own, according to Miller.
First, the tail portion of the blimp detached and came to the ground “with no reports of other damage or casualties”, navy captain Scott Miller said. The remainder of the blimp also grounded itself. The bulbous, 240-foot helium-filled blimp finally came down in a wooded hollow near Muncy, a small town about 80 miles north of Harrisburg, as people gawked in wonder and disbelief at the big, white, slow-moving craft. No injuries were reported.
First, the tail portion of the blimp detached and came to the ground “with no reports of other damage or casualties”, Miller said. The remainder of the blimp also grounded itself.
The balloon’s tether hit power lines and caused outages near Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. As it hovered over Pennsylvania, police warned residents to contact the police if they spotted the airship.The balloon’s tether hit power lines and caused outages near Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. As it hovered over Pennsylvania, police warned residents to contact the police if they spotted the airship.
PPL Electric Utilities Corp said that as of 3.45pm there were about 17,800 customers without power in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, with another 9,000 out in Schuylkill County. About 27,000 customers in two counties were left without power, according to electric utility PPL, and Bloomsburg University canceled classes because of the outage. Electricity was restored to most people within a few hours.
It was not immediately clear how the blimp – which is known as JLENS, short for: Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System – became detached from its mooring station at Aberdeen Proving Grounds. The craft even knocked out power to the state police barracks at Bloomsburg before settling among the trees, where it was swiftly cordoned off while military personnel began arriving to retrieve it, state police captain David Young said. He said trees will probably have to be cut down to get it out.
It was not immediately clear how the blimp – which is known as JLENS, short for Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System – became detached from its mooring station at Aberdeen Proving Grounds.
The office of Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf released a statement to let the public know the state was monitoring the situation and discussing it with federal officials, state police and emergency officials and the national guard.The office of Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf released a statement to let the public know the state was monitoring the situation and discussing it with federal officials, state police and emergency officials and the national guard.
The blimp is described by manufacturer Raytheon as a “cruise-missile fighting radar blimp”.The blimp is described by manufacturer Raytheon as a “cruise-missile fighting radar blimp”.
The US army deployed the JLENS system earlier this year at Maryland’s Aberdeen Proving Grounds to identify threats in the north-east. It consists of two blimps which fly up to 10,000 feet in the air.The US army deployed the JLENS system earlier this year at Maryland’s Aberdeen Proving Grounds to identify threats in the north-east. It consists of two blimps which fly up to 10,000 feet in the air.
Drag line on property near Bloomsburg, PA. Witness says he saw blimp cable dragging near his home. pic.twitter.com/g30HY5iclCDrag line on property near Bloomsburg, PA. Witness says he saw blimp cable dragging near his home. pic.twitter.com/g30HY5iclC
Raytheon said the helium-filled balloons can protect an area about the size of Texas.Raytheon said the helium-filled balloons can protect an area about the size of Texas.
While the system is meant to detect suspicious activity in the air near Washington DC and New York City, the system failed to identify a Florida mailman who flew a gyrocopter onto Capitol Hill earlier this year.While the system is meant to detect suspicious activity in the air near Washington DC and New York City, the system failed to identify a Florida mailman who flew a gyrocopter onto Capitol Hill earlier this year.
As of December 2014, the government had spent $2.8bn on the system and had approved another $43.3m to test the system.As of December 2014, the government had spent $2.8bn on the system and had approved another $43.3m to test the system.
Lee Fang, an investigative reporter at The Intercept, noted that Raytheon on Tuesday posted a job opening for someone to watch the airship.Lee Fang, an investigative reporter at The Intercept, noted that Raytheon on Tuesday posted a job opening for someone to watch the airship.
Two JLens balloons broke from their moorings in Iraq in 2006, according to WikiLeaks’ Iraq war logs. Both balloons were thought to have drifted towards Iran, but their final destination remains unclear.Two JLens balloons broke from their moorings in Iraq in 2006, according to WikiLeaks’ Iraq war logs. Both balloons were thought to have drifted towards Iran, but their final destination remains unclear.
Reuters contributed to this report. Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.