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A JLENS blimp that has been tethered at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland has broken free Wednesday and is being tracked by two fighter jets traveling over Pennsylvania at 16,000 feet, a NORAD spokesman said.
JLENS is short for Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor. The craft looks like a blimp, but the tether technically means it is an aerostat. The craft is the size of a football field and cost about $180 million each.
The Baltimore Sun reported that the helium-filled blimp detached at about 11:54 a.m. and was pulling about 6,700 feet of cable. The paper reported that the military is working with the FAA to maintain air safety. The Air Force said two F-16 fighter jets from Atlantic City are monitoring the blimp.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf's office issued a statement saying it is aware of the situation and has been in contact with various departments and the state's emergency management agency.
Read more http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/10/2...-that-has-broken-free-its-tether-in-maryland/