Comments on: Giant Blimp Deflated; Laser Jet Delayed

By: Darrin Shacklett

Darrin Shacklett — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 23:52:54 +0000

Did you used to work with AWACS?

By: Michael Thomas

Michael Thomas — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 01:43:15 +0000

Medusa: Space Age Weapon
http://www.p2pnet.net/story/12661

By: S. Bendin

S. Bendin — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 15:23:29 +0000

The HAA is prospect project. And Russia try to part in such program.
Defense airships in stratosphere have to belong countries from G8.
By the way, HAA may use not only for the defense programme. For ex., such platform will be useful for telecom., altitude semi-space tourism, base for astronauts’ halfway landing and renew onboard team, extremal parachute jumping etc.
I hope projects of HAA have to stay program for wide world scientist and technologiest prospective association for man’s benefit

By: Neil

Neil — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 22:10:18 +0000

Just in case anyone comes here this late:
What’s the story on the Navy’s pursuit of FEL (Free-electron laser) technology as a weapon ray?
My friends at “JLab” need to know — jobs depend on it.

By: John Albright

John Albright — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 17:43:07 +0000

So the first shot taken by a would be enemy is to knock out the blimp. Then what?
So I guess the pentagon will spend another few hundred million to protect the blimp.
Aren’t we the guys who managed to keep the old USSR in check with it’s thousands of war heads because of the threat of massive retaliation? The ‘cover-and-duck’ appeased the older generation. Pull it out, dust it off and sell it to the kids as the way to protect onesself from misssles.

By: Neil Whitney

Neil Whitney — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 13:09:46 +0000

Just who in the hell are we 3 Billion dollars worth of worried about? North Korea? Iran? Certainly not!!! Russia?? Not any more!
ANY — I repeat — ANY launch of nuclear bearing missles would be detected by current defense mechanisms and disposed of LONG before it reached our shores — or any NATO nation for that matter! Why aren’t we hlding on to those “pork barrel” funds for Vets and anti-terrorist policing and things that are really needed? Another ludicrous waste of tax bucks.
I worked for the VA for 9 years, and we were subjected to program and staffing cuts like crazy! Just so the politicians with stock in Lockheed rtc. could retire rich? Where’s MY retirement “golden umbrella”?? BULL!!!!

By: Rod

Rod — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 06:14:41 +0000

Giant Blimp !! Someone Paid money to build a
Giant Blimp !! I sure hope they get Fired! A Blimp is a World-War-1 weapon ! Maybe they want to bring-Back the Horse & Wagon Too ! Maybe they can use the Horse & Wagon to Pull the “Black Powder Cannon !! No wonder the USA is running out of money.

By: Terry McCarty

Terry McCarty — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 21:30:56 +0000

If the Veteran’s community (United Veteran Organizations) could convince the Orange County Board of Supervisors (California) to hand over the Blimp Hangar at LTA (Tustin USMC Air Base) we would have a large enough Hangar to house and preform maintenance on these proposed Giant Blimps. They are 1000 foot long, 300 foot wide, and 18 stories high. We want to preserve it as they were erected in 1943 to support our coastal defense. This is the largest wooden structure still standing which was (until recently) was in the National Resistry of Historical Buildings, however the Department of the Navy allowed it to be removed due to local political pressures from the City of Tustin and the O.C. Board of Supervisors. They turned down our $400,000,000.00 in redevelopment plans for their own plans and developers. Not Veteran friendly!

By: Joe Keary

Joe Keary — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 14:28:48 +0000

The MDA has a number of projects for the three phases of Ballistic Missile Defense, many of which are in development. Ones that are "proven" (like the Patriot PAC-3, early versions of which covered MY back over in OIF), Aegis Cruisers and THAAD need to be given the lions share of funding and made operational to counter a potential DPRK threat. Similarly, detection systems need to be "green lighted" to enable us to accurately detect potential missile launches. While the ABL is a promising project, they would be "too few, too far dispersed" to counter multiple launches. So, lets focus our efforts on the "best projects" and funnel the austere budget to those that show the best and fastest return on investment. With so many "Boots on the Ground" in OEF/OIF, and the challenges of this Budget, MDA needs to bite the bullet and select the best of the best, and defer the rest!

By: RTLM

RTLM — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 03:25:34 +0000

It would be a big mistake to impede the ABL. In addition to the capability of taking out ballistic missiles in boost phase, I believe it also has the capability to damage satellites in low Earth orbit. The air to air potential is there too. Air to ground as well. This system has renewed strategic value.
**Note to Sen. Carl (The Penguin) Levin.