“EPIC has filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Department of the Army for documents about JLENS, a sophisticated surveillance system that will be deployed over Washington, DC during the next three years. JLENS is comprised of two 250′ blimps. One blimp conducts aerial and ground surveillance over a 340-mile range, while the other has targeting capability including HELLFIRE missiles. The JLENS was originally deployed in Iraq. In the FOIA request, EPIC asked the Army for technical specifications as well as any policies limiting domestic surveillance. EPIC has urged Congress to establish privacy safeguards for aerial drones. For more information, see EPIC: EPIC v. Army – Surveillance Blimps, EPIC: Drones – Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and EPIC Spotlight on Surveillance (2005) – “Unmanned Planes Offer New Opportunities for Clandestine Government Tracking.”