US deploys blimps over Washington against alleged drone threat

The military organization NORAD is going to launch two blimps with radars east of the American capital Washington. The blimps protect the airspace against missiles and drones, according to the army.

The blimps could stay in the air for a month to perform their surveillance function. The Jlens radar system placed below the 70-meter blimp, which stands for joint land attack cruise missile defense elevated netted sensor system, uses VHF radar waves to detect possible threats, while a focused x-band radar provides more data about a possible target can collect. In addition to enemy missiles, the radar system would also be able to detect drones, Defense One writes.

The unmanned airships are not undisputed. Some citizens and organizations fear that the army can also use them to monitor residents of the city. Lawsuits have therefore already been launched in the city against the program, but the US military denies that the system infringes on the privacy of citizens. NORAD keeps many details about the system secret.