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The Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System, or JLENS is a tethered aerial detection system designed to track boats, ground vehicles,〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Surveillance aircraft floating high above Maryland )〕 cruise missiles, manned and unmanned aircraft (airborne early warning and control), and other threats. The system has four primary components: two tethered aerostats which utilize a helium/air mix, armored mooring stations, sophisticated radars, and a processing station designed to communicate with anti-missile and other ground and airborne systems. Each system is referred to as an "orbit", and two orbits have been built. The Army-led joint program is designed to complement fixed-wing surveillance aircraft, saving money on crew, fuel, maintenance and other costs, and give military commanders advance warning to make decisions and provide notifications. The program was said to be "hanging by a thread" after an aerostat became detached from its mooring on 28 October 2015 and crashed hours later after floating into Pennsylvania. ==Background== In January 1996, the office of the Secretary of Defense directed the Army to establish an Aerostat Joint Project Office based in Huntsville, Alabama. The office involved all military departments—the Army would serve as program manager, while the Navy and Air Force would provide deputy program managers. Following approval of the JLENS acquisition strategy, the project office conducted design concept and risk-reduction studies. In June 1997, the project office issued a request for proposal for an early JLENS prototype. The initial program had three objectives: (1) to mitigate risks during development and acquisition; (2) to design, develop, procure, fabricate, integrate, test, demonstrate and maintain a system which met military requirements; and (3) to provide an operational prototype which could potentially be used during a deployment of troops. Three bids were received, and in January 1998 a joint venture between Hughes Aircraft and Raytheon, located in El Segundo, California, won the initial contract—valued at $11.9 million—as part of an estimated $292 million contract if all options were exercised. Since that time, numerous studies and requirements changes have been made. According to JLENS' product manager, the system is poised for operational testing, a planned three-year deployment at Aberdeen Proving Ground; if successful, full deployment would be the next step.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「JLENS」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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