Lockheed Martin to build High Altitude Airship for homeland security

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Doberman

Doberman

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May 1, 2003
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Lockheed Martin to build High Altitude Airship for homeland security

Posted Jan 22nd 2007 9:50AM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Although it's not exactly shocking to hear of yet another homeland security application that seems to border on Big Brother, Lockheed Martin's High Altitude Airship could keep an elevated eye on 600 miles of US countryside at any given time, and if all goes as planned, we'll have 11 of these things floating over our everyday activities by the end of the decade. The HAA prototype is a ginormous airship that measures 17-times larger than the Goodyear rendition we're all used to seeing above sporting events, and is designed to hover 12 miles above the earth in order to keep tabs on what's happening below. The airship is slated to be solar-powered and should stay in a geocentric orbit for "up to a year," and if equipped with high-resolution cameras, a single one could cover everything "between Toledo, Ohio and New York City." While Lockheed Martin is thrilled with the $40 million project they've been awarded, it's certainly understandable to get a little worried about how these blimps will actually be used, but a company spokesperson suggested then an entire fleet could actually be used for "border surveillance" -- and hey, we need a little help down there anyway, right?

[Via Fark]

 
iaoish

iaoish

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May 14, 2002
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Why? Is this really necessery? Are crime rates really that high in the U.S.? Or is this still to prevent some terrorist attack?
 
Deadpool

Deadpool

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Jul 22, 2006
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Subsidy:
a grant or gift of money: as a grant by a government to a private person or company

In economics, a subsidy is a kind of financial government assistance, such as a grant, tax break, or trade barrier, in order to encourage the production or purchase of a good.


Disguise:

to obscure the existence or true state or character of : CONCEAL


In a capitalist society such as the United States where the political machine spends much of it's time criticizing other more socialized or state-ist economies and trumpeting itself as the benchmark of the free market; subsidy becomes a catch phrase for a type of economic evil. In such a case it is often common for the government to give a company a contract to develop a product that they never intend to see the light of day. Thus they disguise their subsidizing of the company/industry.
 
Ry

Ry

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Apr 25, 2002
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  • Ry

    Ry

I dont see how these are any different than having satellites that spy and take pictures. IM assuming that they will be unmanned since they will stay in orbit for a whole year?
 
nhojsmith

nhojsmith

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Dec 8, 2005
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im pretty sure we are never given the full information, rather we are spoonfed controlled information by controlled sources, so really this announcement doesnt mean anything unless you are a lockheed shareholder
 
GTS

GTS

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Feb 8, 2006
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nhojsmith said:
im pretty sure we are never given the full information, rather we are spoonfed controlled information by controlled sources, so really this announcement doesnt mean anything unless you are a lockheed shareholder
Click to expand...
If that is spoonfed imagine the Real information?
 
nhojsmith

nhojsmith

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Dec 8, 2005
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GTS said:
If that is spoonfed imagine the Real information?
Click to expand...
precisely. it could be in either of the extremes, either it does much more than they say or its not even capable of what they say. the only thing im sure of is that it isnt exactly what they say it is. goes both ways ya know.
 
T

TROLL

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Aug 8, 2003
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id be willing to bet, that the next 'terrorist' attack will be on one of these over designed blimps.. specially now that we know china can fire at sattelites..

Deadpool said:
Subsidy disguised.
Click to expand...
yup..
 
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