May 19, 2006
Notes

High Tech And Off The Wall

(click images for whole enchilada)

Airsurveillancevivabush400-2

No Administration defense plan would be complete without a way of shifting large chunks of taxpayer cash to the military-industrial complex.

Airsurveillancecolbert400-1

When it comes to immigration, the National Guard is simply a warm-up act.  Forget the walls and the fences.  Bush’s so-called “Secure Border Initiative” intends to contract for a whole new generation of high-tech border surveillance.

Airsurveillancehelpwanted40-1

According to yesterday’s NYT story, $100 million is now available for the program.  And even if most of the $425 million spend over the past ten years on border technology paid for gear that either wasn’t implemented properly or didn’t work, why should that stop anybody?

Airsurveillfrist400-2

This time around, companies like Lockheed Martin and Northrop are proposing various airborne surveillance systems.  One device getting attention is Lockheed’s Tethered Aerostat Radar System.  This device — which is twice the size of a Goodyear Blimp — hangs radar from an anchored balloon.  (Just don’t try and operate it in high wind.)

Airsurveillminutemen400-1

If this technology really does take hold, The BAG could imagine any number of ways it might become part of the social and political landscape.

Airsurveillalien400-1

(Bear with me, it’s Friday.)





(images: fas.org; spot.colorado.edu; geomar.de: spyflight.co.uk; casca.ca)

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Michael Shaw
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