Surveillance Blimps Heading to AfghanistanMay 21, 2010
 While technologically advanced unmanned aerial vehicles like the Predator and Reaper are in big demand in Afghanistan, the Pentagon is turning to a less expensive and low-tech alternative to keep an eye out for roadside bombs. The Pentagon is now rushing blimps, which have been around since World War I, to Afghanistan in an effort to spot insurgents planting roadside bombs, according to an article in AOL News. "Everyone would like their own Predator or Reaper," said Ashton Carter, the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, speaking at Fort Belvoir, Va. He added, however, that blimps are far cheaper and can stay in the air longer. "This is an excellent example of an alternative that is just as effective." Though unmanned drones like the Reaper and Predator are themselves much less expensive than traditional surveillance jets or fighters, the move to use even less expensive systems fits well with Defense Secretary Robert Gates' growing mandate of shifting away from "exquisite" and expensive weapons. The blimps are hardly technological relics, however. The unmanned airships—now known as aerostats—are equipped with MX-15 sensors and cameras that can spot trouble day or night. Ashton Carter, the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, noted that more sensors might be added once the blimps are deployed, according to the article. Similar blimps are already being used along the troubled U.S.-Mexican border, watching for drug smuggling and other illegal activity. But AOL News noted that the aerostats heading to Afghanistan are smaller, about 75 feet long and 25 feet in diameter. AOL News reported that there are already seven aerostats in Afghanistan and another 31 are expected by the end of 2010. "What you see here is one of the many new capabilities we are introducing into Afghanistan in association with the new surge effort this spring and summer," Carter told reporters at a demonstration of the aerostat. Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army |
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