Days after an embarrassing mishap when a Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensors (JLENS) aerostat broke free of its tether and drifted away, the Pentagon has suspended testing of the system pending the results of an investigation.
Photo: Army
The Army will make a decision on whether to continue the program after it has concluded an investigation of how the blimp was severed from the cable, said Army spokesman Dov Schwartz.
JLENS, which was built by Raytheon [RTN], comprises two unmanned, helium-filled aerostats that each carry a 360-degree radar that can detect cruise missiles, drones and airplanes from up to 340 miles away. The system was deployed to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., for homeland defense (Defense Daily, Sept. 17, 2014).
After one of the blimps became loose last week, it flew over Maryland and Pennsylvania before it was shot and deflated. During its journey, the hanging tether snagged power lines, leading to outages for nearby residents.
The second blimp is currently grounded, Schwartz said.
Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif), who has called for the $2.7 billion program to be killed altogether, commended the Pentagon for delaying the test.
“The United States cannot afford to waste taxpayers’ money on ‘zombie programs’ whose best function is fodder for Late Night Comedy, while we remain underprepared to counter cyberthreats and acts of aggression that are all too real. Let’s pray that the canceled test is a prelude to canceling the program outright and using the money where it will do more good.”