How a $2.7 billion air-defense system became a 'zombie' program

[n2doc]

Unknown to most Americans, the Pentagon has spent $2.7 billion developing a system of giant radar-equipped blimps to provide an early warning if the country were ever attacked with cruise missiles, drones or other low-flying weapons.

After nearly two decades of disappointment and delay, the system — known as JLENS — had a chance to prove its worth on April 15.

That day, a Florida postal worker flew a single-seat, rotary-wing aircraft into the heart of the nation’s capital to dramatize his demand for campaign finance reform.

JLENS is intended to spot just such a tree-skimming intruder, and two of the blimps were supposed to be standing sentry above the capital region. Yet 61-year-old Douglas Hughes flew undetected through 30 miles of highly restricted airspace before landing on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.

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http://graphics.latimes.com/missile-defense-jlens/

[leveymg]

1. For a period several years ago you could see one of them, very high up at dusk over south DC.

Last edited Thu Sep 24, 2015, 12:55 PM - Edit history (1)

[Fred Sanders]

2. American fear of a single violent event is of psychotic paranoid strength...but fear is good for

business and for politicians, so there will be more of the same, never mind the stupidity and pointless of fake ginned up fear. Where would the GOP and the military be without mass generated false paranoia and fear?

Meanwhile how many nations suffer through real attacks and real mayhem and destruction on a daily basis and live through it without the massive fear and paranoia of one nation attacked but once since it's existence?

What a cowardly nation that nation would be.

[MrScorpio]

3. Actually, the system worked perfectly fine...

But only if you regard it's real objective was to transfer $2.7 billion dollars out of the US Treasury and into the pockets of military contractors.