• Military
• WMD

• Intelligence Menu               

• Systems
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Imagery
• Links

• Homeland Security
• Space

Fort Belvoir hosts surveillance system demo

May 24, 2010

By Marny Malin, Belvoir Eagle

FORT BELVOIR, Va. - DoD and Army officials gave the National Capital Region a glimpse of one of the tools in its arsenal designed to keep track of enemy combatants in the ongoing overseas contingency operations. The officials hosted a demonstration of the capabilities of a camera-equipped aerostat, a helium-filled blimp, called a Persistent Ground Surveillance System at Belvoir's Fremont Field Tuesday.

The PGSS, at about 75 feet long and 25 feet wide, and can carry a variety of equipment and sensors which can provide long-range, 24-hour surveillance for military ground forces from heights ranging from 2,500 to 5,000 feet. The tethered, unmanned aerostat is monitored from a ground station. Its infrared camera systems can pick up individuals operating at night and placing improvised explosive devices.

There are seven in use in Afghanistan, with 31 scheduled to be in theater by the end of the year.
According to Ashton Carter, under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, they are highly effective lifesavers and also serve as deterrence.

"You can't talk directly to the insurgents who are intimidated by them, but you can sometimes hear the people talking about them and that is gratifying," Carter said.

Lt. Gen. John M. Paxton Jr., director of operations, J-3, and The Joint Staff, pointed out while these aerostats aren't new for surveillance, their charter is to integrate and improve upon ideas that are already on the table.

"We are in the business of not only trying to listen to Gen. (Stanley) McCrystal, but all the commanders in theater, U. S. and allied, and see what they need to better prosecute the fight," Paxton said. McCrystal is International Security Assistance Force commander.

"If you ask the Soldiers and Marines over there how they work, it's great. If you ask how many they need, it's get as many as you can as fast as you can get them," Paxton said. "If you can't dissuade or deter, you can certainly detect; and, your ability to detect is much faster.

"This is saving U.S. lives and accomplishing the mission over there," Paxton said.

According to defense officials, the aerostats cost less than fixed-wing aircraft and will be manned by contractors. The military, based on operational needs, will determine how and who will be using this system.

Editor Carl Purvis contributed to this story.