WASHINGTON — The runaway military surveillance blimp that captured America's attention last year during its lumbering flight across Pennsylvania may be grounded for good.
A Defense policy bill that will begin moving its way through the House this week would cut almost all funding for the program.
The blimp, officially known as the Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System, was designed to help detect missiles and enemy aircraft threatening the United States. While the military has used the lighter-than-air technology in conflict zones to help with surveillance, the Pennsylvania blimp was in the test phase when it broke free of its tethers at a base in eastern Maryland in October.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, is proposing to cut the president's funding request for the blimp from $45.5 million to $2.5 million, all but guaranteeing that its flying days are over. Committee staff said the remaining money is only to help the government figure out how to better address threats to the Washington, D.C., region.
Even if this is its last hurrah, the Raytheon-designed blimp did have a good romp. Dragging a heavy tether behind it, it downed power lines, caused electrical outages and wreaked chaos on its path of destruction before it crashed near Muncy. The military sent out F-16 fighter jets to make sure the blimp didn't collide with planes.
