Mass surveillance balloons tested by Pentagon

Mass surveillance balloons tested by Pentagon

Documents filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reveal that the US military is conducting wide-area surveillance tests across six Midwest states using experimental high-altitude balloons. For the surveillance tests, up to 25 unmanned solar-powered balloons will be launched.

The balloons will be launched from rural South Dakota and drifting 250 miles through an area spanning portions of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Missouri, before concluding in central Illinois. The balloons will reach a height of up to 65,000 ft. According to a filing made on behalf of the Sierra Nevada Corporation, aerospace, and defense company, the balloons will be used to “provide a persistent surveillance system to locate and deter narcotics trafficking and homeland security threats.”

Hi-tech radars will be carried in the balloons. The radars will help in simultaneously tracking many individual vehicles day or night, through any kind of weather. The tests have not been reported previously. The tests received an FCC license to operate from mid-July until September, following similar flights licensed last year.

Arthur Holland Michel, the co-director of the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College in New York, said, “What this new technology proposes is to watch everything at once. Sometimes it’s referred to as ‘combat TiVo’ because when an event happens somewhere in the surveilled area, you can potentially rewind the tape to see exactly what occurred, and rewind even further to see who was involved and where they came from.”

US Southern Command (Southcom) has commissioned the tests. Southcom is responsible for disaster response, intelligence operations and security cooperation in the Caribbean and Central and South America. Southcom’s key role is to identify and intercept drug shipments headed for the United States.

Senior writer at the Chicago Morning Star

Related Posts
The new Alex Saab is a U.S. person: Antonio Luis Gonzalez Morales
Antonio Luis Gonzalez Morales, a Venezuelan oil trader with deep ties to the Maduro regime,
TikTok Readies U.S. App Before ByteDance Deadline
TikTok is preparing to launch a separate version of its app specifically for U.S. users,
Boyd to Host Event for Senior Wellness Support
Boyd Healthcare is inviting the public to a free informational session about its Senior Life
Deadly Holiday Flood Devastates Central Texas
Devastating floods swept through central Texas in early July, killing at least 78 people and
United States tests medium-range cruise missile after its withdrawn from INF Treaty
The US withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty on August 2. It has tested
TSA Ends Shoe Removal Rule at U.S. Airports
For the first time in nearly two decades, air travelers in the United States can
AI Deepfake Voicemails Target High-Level Officials
In June, an advanced impersonation campaign used artificial intelligence to target senior U.S. and international
Nvidia Becomes World’s Most Valuable Public Company
Nvidia Corp. has officially become the most valuable publicly traded company in the world, reaching
AT&T to Pay $177M Over Massive Customer Data Breaches
AT&T has agreed to pay $177 million to settle two class-action lawsuits stemming from major
Injuries Push Astros to Debut More Minor Leaguers
With a growing list of injuries depleting their roster, the Houston Astros continue to turn
The new Alex Saab is a U.S. person: Antonio Luis Gonzalez Morales
Antonio Luis Gonzalez Morales, a Venezuelan oil trader with deep ties to the Maduro regime,
TikTok Readies U.S. App Before ByteDance Deadline
TikTok is preparing to launch a separate version of its app specifically for U.S. users,
Boyd to Host Event for Senior Wellness Support
Boyd Healthcare is inviting the public to a free informational session about its Senior Life
Deadly Holiday Flood Devastates Central Texas
Devastating floods swept through central Texas in early July, killing at least 78 people and
United States tests medium-range cruise missile after its withdrawn from INF Treaty
The US withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty on August 2. It has tested
TSA Ends Shoe Removal Rule at U.S. Airports
For the first time in nearly two decades, air travelers in the United States can
AI Deepfake Voicemails Target High-Level Officials
In June, an advanced impersonation campaign used artificial intelligence to target senior U.S. and international
Nvidia Becomes World’s Most Valuable Public Company
Nvidia Corp. has officially become the most valuable publicly traded company in the world, reaching