E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
© Lucas Jackson / Reuters / Reuters, file
A sandstorm blows past an inflatable blimp inside Forward Operating Base Joyce in Afghanistan's Kunar Province in June.
Dozens of surveillance blimps now being used on the battlefield in Afghanistan and Iraq could be deployed on the border with Mexico under a new joint initiative by the American military and border patrol officials, the Wall Street Journal reported.
If tests overseen by the military over the next few weeks are successful, the Department of Homeland Security would deploy 72-foot-long, unmanned surveillance blimps to help trace drug traffickers and those trying to enter the United States illegally, the newspaper reported on Tuesday.
The helium-filled drones have drifted over military bases throughout Afghanistan and Iraq for years, the Wall Street Journal reported. Often floating some 2,000-feet above above ground, they are equipped with cameras, infrared sensors and other hardware to help keep an eye on militants, insurgents and troops in battle, according to the newspaper.
Border Patrol unveils first new strategy in 8 years
With bases in Afghanistan shutting down, the aircraft are part of an enormous trove of military equipment set to leave the country over the next two years, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Heavily armed boats from Texas are now patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border along the Rio Grande. NBC's Charles Hadlock reports.
Drug smuggling tunnels discovered between US and Mexico
If the tests go well, the military could give Homeland Security dozens of blimps and surplus equipment worth $27 million, the newspaper reported. Border officials are already using military hardware along the border with Mexico, such as unarmed Predator drones, the Wall Street Journal said.
The surveillance drones were being offered free of charge, Mark Borkowski, assistant commissioner at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Technology Innovation and Acquisition, told the paper.
More content from NBCNews.com:
- Illegal immigrants are warned of scammers as new Obama policy takes effect
- Chasing a 'dream': Immigrant youth seek legal status
- Video: Texas shooting gunman had stockpile of weapons
- Errant skydivers land in high-security Georgia submarine base
- Emergency well drilling brings relief to farmers stricken by drought
Follow US News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
Leave a Comment:
Why bother, they are trying to make all the illegals legal. So what is the point? To deter drug trafficking?? Right, If they really wanted to stop the flow of drugs they could do a lot more, plus the "war on drugs" is a great way to hid all of the wasted funds. Just think of all of the people that would be out of work if the war on drugs was no longer needed, which is probably why the federal government is still so resistant to making pot legal.
Area 51 has surveillance equipment that can detect anything and anybody
and it's been like that for years.put that equipment on the border.
I'm tired of these illegals bleeding this country dry
Makes sense to me. If you come over illegal. Your allowed to sign up to be an American citizen. If your in Mexico. The US will have blimps, and who knows what to stop you from entering the US. If you get across as an illegal, we are not allow to ask you if your illegal. You can get a dead man's name and illegal social security that government don't have the knowledge of programming their computers to catch you immediately.
Well, I think we have everything in order on illegals. Catching that American boy stealing a candy bar and punishing him immediately. Only because he did something illegal. Well my illegal people from across the border, let's face it. Your chances of staying in America as illegal is 80% better, then that American boy punished for doing something illegal.
From you Peanut factory that only knows one short word, "DUH !!!!"
Does anyone know about the depleting helium problem?
The only problem is the US govt wants to release the US helium supply into the atmosphere. The US does not want to pay to keep the worlds largest stockpile of helium. I assume we will dump all the helium and then pay defense contractors to recover it again.
HA Free market in action try and stop it.
The US is so full of its Self. It set's up a negative system that wants cheap Illegal immigrants and US people who purchase Drugs here in the US.
This is a no win situation as all in the US knows that free market forces will find a way always to get around any law or law enforcement to sell whatever product that people want.
You want to stop Illegal immigrants then offer them work visa's then they will pay taxes as far as drugs make them not Illegal. Why well the simple reason is the money would go away the big profits are made by making it Illegal in the first place.
If a person wants to drink gasoline who are we to stop them, should we make a law you can not drink gasoline no. It would be a stupid law. So are the current laws on drugs.
Once the laws go away on drugs so to do the problems with the Walmart on the boarder go away. We point a finger at Mexico but the real problem is here. The US has created a Vacuum on the boarder.
Illegal immigrants make them legal it would add to the greatness of our country not take away. I say open the boarder wide to the immigrants from mexico.
What a Joke the current administration is not serious about border protection, They have programs now to help illegals stay in our country. They are helping them with the paperwork to expidite their stay, While our veterans are having lengthly waits for their claims to be processed. No offense to the border patrol they are doing all they can, it just the current leadership is more interested in getting votes and helping illegals than helping our veterans. or securing our border.
then why are there 1.7 million illegals trying to apply to stay in this country right now ? how long have they been here and who has been supporting them ? we can't even employ americans right now and you want to have a million more people here who should not be here to begin with to compete for american jobs and if these 1 million illegals can't find jobs,will they get welfare at our expence.
American will always be ignorant about this subject, especially in an economically repressed time. While I do agree that some immigrants get benefits that really is arguable if they should receive it. The cubans that amass in Miami and their people run the system and bleed American money to support those refugees. Also other latins. The system is rigged to support them and they bleed US money like crazy. No one focuses on that because they blend in and have political power as a minority group.
There are however, children who were brought here at a young age, who have lived here all their lives and know nothing about their country of birth and I strongly believe these children should not be deported. Many are well educated and are productive members of society. I believe it would be a sin shame disgrace for the US to send these kids back. With the way the system is now..it is impossible for them to function..no drivers licence , no jobs--unless undocumented, no freedom.
As Americans we can not forget the foundation upon this country was built and that we have always been set apart as a caring and fair society.
Using unmanned blimps is less than what should be done. Using full sized manned blimps with appropriate detection equipment is good thinking. Blimps can remain on station for extended periods of time and can cover more territory with almost no noise. Half the problem of controlling the boarder is being able to outlast the drug runners and human traffickers. With proper observation tools the criminal element will succumb to law enforcement. Blimps even when damaged can make soft landings. Blimps are a good investment for this type of interdiction.
xsvenom: I am a housewife of 27 years. I am 5'3 & 130 lbs. I workout everyday as do my friends. We are far from blimps I guarantee you that. How dare you. Stay on subject I pity your wife to be married to such a troll!
As far as having blimps in the sky Arizona has had one by Ft. Huachuca, AZ for as long as I can remember. Years. Nothing new there.
The blimps will be used to count the illegals crossing the border so Obama can get an idea of how many votes he will get. He loves the illegals and doesn't care how much it costs the American taxpayers to support them and take care of them. All he cares about is getting reelected so he can go on more vacations on our dime.
Right on Otter. In fact, Obama may be the first illegal President in America.
How about jailing the overpaid CEO's that hire them! You want to make them go home all on their own? Dry up their jobs by attacking the real problem - the people that hire them. No jobs and they'll all pack up and leave tomorrow.
This is the funniest headline in serious news in a long time.
We pay thousands of soldiers and part of their job is training. They cannot be used against American citizens but they can against illegals. Let them patrol the border while doing combat training. Part of that duty involves observation, target practice, in this case with rubber bullets or if necessary real force. They could stay condition ready for areas like Iraq, Afghanistan or any other dessert country. They could practice maneuvers etc while helping secure the borders.
Maybe we can enlist Snoopy and the Red Baron to enforce our immigration laws. What G-man thought this one up? Here's an idea. We have a bunch of returning vets that can't find jobs. They are polished and professional. Lets give them a badge, a weapon and a patrol area so they can really protect Americans from inside this country, rather than from some suck hole, third world arm pit of a Country.
Then we won't need these half baked ideas which will no more keep out the illegals then will a whole fleet of blimps.
BLIMPS ON THE BORDER...????
What would placing ROSIE ODONNEL & SALLY STRUTHERS at the Border accomplish?
"Armed" drones on the border look like a good idea. Placing returning "armed" soldiers there looks good too. Building an effective "electrified" fence would also be good. Minefields are a little too much - innocent cattle and wild animals might be hurt. Large expanses of the Arizona border are guarded by very ineffective or no fences thanks to the feds. I've seen the fence at Nogales, but the BLM and Organ Pipe N.M. has warned us to stay away from their unguarded borders with Mexico for our own safety. In Texas I've seen ILLEGALs crossing the Rio Grande by foot or by mule without any interference.
ILLEGALs brag about the number of times they've crossed back and forth across the border. When they are caught and sent back, they just turn around and come back making Obama's phony statistics look better.
Blimps your kidding, even sharp arrow could penetratethere the exterior. also the weather will playpong pong and just plain destroy it.
I wonder if Zeppelin has anything to do with poor suggestion.
Adding to last comment, Mexico is our next door neighbor, and not a hostile country like Afghanistan.
I understand what the US Customsis trying to do, but the problem really is our own country. The American people are ones one buying these drugs, and until we can convince these brainless losers the sooner we can as the Bible quotes Love our neighbors as we do ourselves. (this quote is for the believers only)
How about using machine guns and leaving the bodies to rot. That might just deter the next person.
So what's new about the blimps on the border. The US Border Patrol has used them for a number of years. No big deal.
Just create a militarized DMZ with much improved and enforced checkpoints as being the only avenues of legal ingress and egress....
The illegal border crossers will use the fast and futile weapons to shoot the blimps down. If any of them are hurt by falling blimp pieces the ACLU will sue on their behalf. This country is currently a toilet full of entitlement and vote buying . Time for a flush. Check, flush again
All we have to do is train our troops all along the border, they have to train somewhere, so why not train in capturing illegal aliens. There are military posts and bases all along the border already, Ft Huachuaca, Ft. Bliss, Laughlin AFB, and many National Guard Armorys too. Let them train catching these illegals and have them armed and the Air Force standing by to assist, will train them too, will improve coordination betweem different branches of the government, test equipment, test new equipment and a lot of the terain will even be similar to the middleast too. Neither of our presidential candidates want to do anything about this problem, if Romney would just step forward with something beside voluntary deportation, he just might get this democrat's vote based just on that one major problem that everyone ignores, even in Arizona where Brewer and McCain are just doing things for pure spite and to cause trouble for Obama. The problem is far more than 4 years old and was there for all 8 years of Bush's terms and they did and said nothing then.
The blimps have worked very well in Afghanistan. They have cut down Taliban attacks significantly. They are filled with helium and can be riddled with gunfire and not shot down so it's unlikely that the Mexicans will have much luck shooting them down either. It's as good an idea as anything else I've heard.
If they would recall the troops from over seas from that meaningless and expensive war going on, they might be able to buy better board control. Only if we could worry about only our country for once.