Big Brother can watch virtually every square inch of Earth with space satellites, but he wants more surveillance options. He has been using helicopters and light planes for decades. The use of blimps is another option, and many are currently in use. A small blimp hovered over the 2009 Indy 500 to insure the safety of the people. [1]The Pentagon is building a large blimp to spy on Americans in the name of national security. The giant dirigible uses radar to constantly monitor activity on the ground from 65,000 feet. The Pentagon says that it intends to spend $400 million to develop a giant dirigible that will float above Earth for 10 years, providing detailed “radar surveillance of the vehicles, planes and even people below.” [2]
The city of Ogden, Utah, planned to employ a blimp to fight crime in January 2011. “We believe it will be a deterrent to crime when it is out and about and will help us solve crimes more quickly when they do occur,” Ogden City Mayor Matthew Godfrey told Reuters. The airship is equipped with military technology now available to local law enforcement and it is more “cost effective” to operate than helicopters or fixed winged aircraft. Operational costs are about $100 a month. “We anticipate using it mainly at night. The cameras have incredible night vision to see with tremendous clarity daytime and nighttime. It will be used like a patrol car. It will be used to go and check things out and keep things safe,” said Mayor Godfrey. Another benefit is that it is so narrow it should be undetectable from the ground. “It’s extremely silent. It can hover or stay stationery or silently meander over pre-programmed courses over the city at nighttime.” [3]
The High Altitude Stratsopheric Airship is a project being funded by the Defense Department at the New Jersey Institute of Technology for the purpose of fighting crime and stopping terrorists.
It is designed to fly at 65,000 and provide a high level, stable surveillance platform. Another proposed use for the airship is to monitor the millions of cargo containers (only a fraction are actually inspected) that arrive at U.S. ports each year. The researchers say their blimp could be outfitted with high tech sensors to scan the containers before they touch land.
These super blimps would have better surveillance capabilities than satellites because of their proximity to the ground and because they would be unmanned they could remain in operation for up to a year. Although no design for the blimps has been finalized, the researchers, say it may be up to 900 feet long, that’s about four times the length of the Goodyear blimp. [4]
Keep in mind that Big Brother can watch you 24-7 via satellite, blimps and other surveillance technologies if he wants to. The use of these blimps and other surveillance technology will increase as the Tribulation years draw closer and their implementation will be in full-force during those horrific years.
Endnotes
[1] Frauenfelder, Mark. “Pentagon plans to build giant spy zeppelin.” BoingBoing.net. 3.13.2009. www.boingboing.net/2009/03/13/pentagon-plans-to-bu. html.
[2] Barnes, Julian E. “Pentagon plans blimp to spy from new heights.” LA Times. 3.13.2009. www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-spyblimp132 009mar13, 0,4608400.story.
[3] Nelson, James. Utah city may use blimp as anti-crime spy in the sky. Reuters. 1.16.2011.www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70F1DJ20110116?feedType=RSS&f eedName=domesticNews&rpc=76.
[4] Meeks, Brock, N. “‘Eyes in the sky’ for Homeland security.” MSNBC. 8.27.2005. www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9069787.