Update: Watch for Sea-Based X-Band Radar ‘in next several days’

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news

Two days after our first report that the Missile Defense Agency‘s Sea-Based X-band Radar (SBX) is on its way to West Seattle for three months of maintenance/upgrades at Vigor (formerly Todd), we have a bit of an update: While the military won’t be any more specific, their latest update says SBX “is expected to enter Vigor … within the next several days” since it “will soon enter Puget Sound.” They also want to clarify, for those who have asked, that the radar “will not operate while in the shipyard.” More background info in our Wednesday report; the structure rises 280 feet – that’s almost half as tall as the Space Needle.

KRM May 6, 2011 (5:49 pm)

Very cool. Can’t wait to see it.

JayDee May 6, 2011 (6:05 pm)

It’s coming in on a FLO-FLO…a float-on, float-off carrier. I,ve seen one once before…cool when the carrier ship is half-submerged.

WSB May 6, 2011 (6:19 pm)

We’re counting on you to holler as soon as you see a glimpse of it on the horizon … 206-293-6302 … now that I think of it, wonder if it’ll come in at night? No guarantee it’ll be a photo-op-perfect bright midday …

Robert May 6, 2011 (6:18 pm)

Hmmm. The U2 concert is in a few weeks, make they can incorporate this somehow…

Jesus May 6, 2011 (6:46 pm)

Missile defense s a moronic pipe dream, but some scumbag is getting paid.

Neal Chism May 6, 2011 (7:21 pm)

They won’t operate a Megawatt class radar while in a port city.
.
The taxpayers of Seattle say thank you for this to BMD, U.S. Army.
.
Our seagulls and most of the civil aviation community say thank you too.
.
But I am making a new aluminum foil hat just in case they forget a switch setting somewhere onboard this “ship”.
.
Geeezzzzz.

Ken May 6, 2011 (7:57 pm)

On the Effectiveness of Aluminum Foil Helmets:
An Empirical Study

http://berkeley.intel-research.net/arahimi/helmet/

Cakeordeath May 6, 2011 (9:17 pm)

As the umpa lumpas like to say, “I don’t like the looks of it”.

Neal Chism May 6, 2011 (9:44 pm)

This study is mentally distressing. Those free thinking people from Berkeley referenced everything from MIT? Then the hats amplificate waves around the microwave cooker frequency in my kitchen and cell phone center frequencies. Whaaaats up with dat?

Humm, maybe I’m slow for good reasons. Cooking all those cheese and chip dishes in the kitchen, waiting for this ship to come in…

Maybe I should use carbon fiber instead.

Neal Chism May 6, 2011 (9:54 pm)

Ahhhh, but they did not test the Sombrero hat configuration in the study
.
I know it is a day late, but maybe this is the one we are going to need?

Neal Chism May 6, 2011 (10:00 pm)

The aluminum sombrero, aka, the “Thinko-da-fryo”.
.
You heard it here first at the WSB.
.
Gonna need some photos of this design.

Neal Chism May 6, 2011 (10:39 pm)

Some times I crack myself up, but I know it is just the government messing with my brain. Wait, how do I know when to laugh at myself? Ahhhhh. Maybe we should just ask them to cover this golfball thing up with aluminum foil instead. Would save lots of foil, I think. I will do the math tomorrow morning. One giant aluminum golf ball hat vs. 2 million sombreros, size: 7 5/8 inches.

Would make a pretty nice car antenna ball too, that can be tossed in the Duwamish later next week. How can I fit one of these into a 4 yard dumpster at the marina?

I’m confused. Need help….