On
October 28, 2015, the Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted
Sensor (JLENS) Fire Control System (FCS) aerostat detached from its mooring
station at G-Field on Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland, and eventually
grounded in a wooded area in northeast Pennsylvania.
The
aerostat has been recovered in its entirety and is in the process of being
transported to Aberdeen Proving Ground and Elizabeth City, N.J. as a part of
the ongoing investigation to determine the cause of the incident.
The safe
and timely recovery of the JLENS aerostat could not have been accomplished as
expeditiously as it was without the support of the Pennsylvania Army National
Guard, the Pennsylvania State Police, Montour County, the Pennsylvania
Emergency Management Agency, as well as representatives from Raytheon and TCOM.
A full
investigation is ongoing and future decisions regarding the continuation of the
operational exercise will be made following the investigation’s conclusion.
“The
JLENS exercise is an opportunity to see how well JLENS can fit into the
existing Integrated Air Defense System”, said Adm. Bill Gortney, commander of
NORAD and U.S. Northern Command. “The JLENS aerostat offers our commands a
means to do just that. If the investigation results indicate resumption of the
operational exercise is warranted, we will work with the Army and the
Department to review the way forward for the JLENS exercise in support of
cruise missile defense capabilities of the National Capital Region” said
Gortney.
NORAD is the
bi-national Canadian and American command that provides maritime warning,
aerospace warning and aerospace control for Canada and the United States. The
command has three subordinate regional headquarters: the Alaskan NORAD Region
at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska; the Canadian NORAD Region at Canadian
Forces Base Winnipeg, Manitoba; and the Continental NORAD Region at Tyndall Air
Force Base, Fla.