JLens- Big Brother Comes to D.C., Md. & Eastern U.S.

It's the "Big Brother" Pentagon project you haven't heard that much about except for short articles in the Baltimore Sun & The Boston Globe.This is a joint project from defense contractor Raytheon (hello, Portsmouth, RI, although this is worked on in Mass, et al and the Pentagon.

While we've been distracted with surveillance problems with the FBI, CIA, and Congress, this very expensive and ongoing project has been ignored by most of the mainstream press. JLENS is the "Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System" (go ahead, I dare you to say that quickly five times). In plain English this is a highly sophisticated radar system consisting of two blimp-like devices (each about as large as a football field) which are tethered to a mooring and a processing center. They can track vehicles (include any kind of boat or airplane) above/below water) along most of the eastern U.S. (N.C. to Can. & W. Va. to R.I.) One devices "sees" and the other translates in real time. They remain airborne for about one month before they need to be hauled down and refilled with helium. These aerostats (aka "blimps") float no higher than 10,000- 15,000 feet- migrating birds fly at this height.

Originally this was to be a much larger project but sequestration and tough times seem to have slowed things down. Right now the Army at Aberdeen Proving Grounds (15 min. from where I live) is getting ready to test this system to see if they wish to purchase it outright from Raytheon. I would know Aberdeen was nearby even if I did not know the distance involved because I hear the booms and feel the vibrations frequently.

This is all part of a missile defense system first proposed in 1983 by Pres. Ronald Reagaon and dubbed "Star Wars." It died in 1984 when the "Cold War" ended. Its current phase it's being touted as providing protection to Wash., D.C. I'm approximating two billion dollars has already been spent by us for development of this project, but there are conflicting numbers due to its secretive nature & current budget boondoggle. It's to begin a three year evaluation here this Spring.  The next step is actual standardized use.

What does all this blah-blah mean? Raytheon touts it as cost-efficient and effective. The military also loves it for the same reasons. Heads-up criticism or shortcomings are mighty hard to find, but this may be due to the very quiet publicity this project has received. Wildlife, privacy and safety concerns all come to mind, not to mention costs. The project at Aberdeen has been budgeted, but will it hold?

Army Planning for Nationwide Unrest

A U.S. Army War College report warns an economic crisis in the United States could lead to massive civil unrest and the need to call on the military to restore order. "Retired Army Lt. Col. Nathan Freir wrote the report "Known Unknowns: Unconventional Strategic Shocks in Defense Strategy Development," which the Army think tank in Carlisle, Pa., recently released. "

"Widespread civil violence inside the United States would force the defense establishment to reorient priorities ... to defend basic domestic order and human security," the report said, in case of "unforeseen economic collapse," "pervasive public health emergencies," and "catastrophic natural and human disasters," among other possible crises. The report also suggests the new (Barack Obama) administration could face a "strategic shock" within the first eight months in office.

"Recently the International Monetary Fund's managing director, Dominique Strauss-Khan, said social unrest could spread to advanced countries if the global economic crisis worsens."
Evidently "as many as 20,000 soldiers under the U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) will be trained withi"n the next three years to work with civilian law enforcement in homeland security.

Charles Boehmer, political science professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, was skeptical about the Army War College report. "The military was not called out during the Great Depression, and I don't think our economic problems are as bad as they were then," he said. "The military always has contingency plans. It's a think tank's job to come up with scenarios, but that doesn't mean it represents an active interest on the part of the (Pentagon)."

One wonders where all these soldiers will come from. Those wacky Army guys- the fun just never stops. BTW- love the title of the report.

I'm reminded here of one of my very favorite comic strips "Pogo." These are the days when comics were a daily feature (b&w). Pogo was a possum who lived with a cast of colorful animal characters in the Okefenokee Swamp. The strip was full of social & political commentary. Pogo's famous for that ever-popular holiday song: "Deck us all with Boston Charley," you know the words, so sing along," Walla Walla Wash and Kalamazoo." He's also remembered for his statement: "We have met the enemy- and they are US!" Well said, Pogo. It was a sad day for me when your illustrator retired.

Info via http://www.buzzflash.com/
Thanks to reporter Diana Washington Valdez / El Paso Times.