WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 (UPI) — A JLENS aerostat belonging to the U.S. military has broken loose from its moorings at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland and is drifting 16,000 feet in the air above Pennsylvania.
The Air Force deployed two F-16s to track the aircraft, which broke free around 12:20 p.m. local time. Officials from the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, announced they are working with the FAA and other partners to safely recover the aircraft.
The Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System, or JLENS, aerostat is part of a $2.8 billion Defense Department program to counter enemy drones and cruise missiles that may threaten the East Coast of the United States. Pentagon officials have stated the system is currently in a three-year testing phase to gauge its effectiveness, despite concerns raised from privacy advocates.
NORAD launched the surveillance craft over Wasington, D.C., in December 2014. The aerostat is tethered, and carried by a 242-foot balloon. The Raytheon-built aircraft is capable of monitoring objects up to 340 miles away in any direction.
Defense officials have defended the program saying there is no dedicated system to protect the American homeland against missile or rogue aircraft attacks.
Authorities have warned anyone who sees the aerostat to maintain distance and dial 911.
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