Two unmanned helium-filled airships tethered 50 miles to the south of Delaware County, Pa at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland will be guarding the Northeast against cruise missile attacks.
The airships will be tethered to concrete pads four miles apart and float at 10,000 feet.
One will continuously scan an area from upstate New York, to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to central Ohio.
The other will carry radar which will be used to direct air, ground and ship-based weapons to destroy enemy missiles.
The system is called JLENS, short for Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System. It should be active at Aberdeen by Christmas.
The airships are 80 yards long and should be visible from I-95.
The government has been using tethered airships in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Mexican border and along the Caribbean Sea.
