Strategypage writes of a new project--a High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE)--that is getting pushed fast:
Phantom Eye currently exists as a twin engine aircraft with a 46 meter (150 feet) wingspan and 205 kg (450 pound) payload. The two propeller engines are fueled by liquid hydrogen. The full scale Phantom Eye would be able to stay in the air up to ten days at a time. At 19,000 meters the aircraft is above the weather. With a ton of sensors and electrical power generated by the aircraft engines the Phantom Eye could monitor thousands of square kilometers of land below, day and night and in all weather. ... If the full scale Phantom Eye works as planned it would be a much cheaper way to obtain “satellite” coverage.
Indeed, for some things, this HALO craft might even be Plan A in place of launching a satellite.
So if China counts on blinding us by hitting our satellites (and cyber-war attacks on communications) in an Orbital and Cyber Pearl Harbor, we can replace our birds, at least--and then go after their satellites.
Hopefully we can quickly cope with the cyber-attacks, too.
