Army Preps ‘Unblinking Eye’ Airship for Afghanistan (A Half-Billion Dollar Contract)

[tekisui]

Source: Wired

God smiles when the Army spends a half-billion dollars on spy blimps the size of a football field.

I believe that’s the message Northrop Grumman is trying to convey in this illustration accompanying the company’s announcement of a $517 million, five-year contract to build three combat airships for the military.

The military already employs a fleet of blimps to look for enemies and relay communications. But none of them are as big, as high-flying, or as far-seeing as this Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle, or LEMV. It’s supposed to float at 20,000 feet for up to three weeks at a time, snooping on absolutely everything below with a variety of sensors.

“Basically what we see it as is an unblinking eye,” LEMV project manager Marty Sargent tells Inside Defense.

Sargent figures it would take as many as 12 of the military’s advanced Reaper surveillance drones “to do the same mission that the LEMV would do.”

The first airship is supposed to be inflated around 10 months from now. Eight months later, the Army hopes to have the first LEMV flying over Afghanistan. On that day, the clouds will part, the sun will shine, and the cherubs will sing as the unblinking eye begins looking for Taliban.


Read More http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/06/army-preps-unblinking-eye-airship-for-afghanistan/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#ixzz0rFGHqS68

[FBI_Un_Sub]

1. Before fighters, bombers and Snoppy's Sopwith Camel

Recon was the origibal taks of military aviation.

[TheMightyFavog]

2. Is this manned or a drone?

Three weeks crammed in a little airship with a few other bored guys at 20,000 feet?

Ughhhh.... Not for me....

But then again... Modify one of these to be a flying "Drone carrier" for limited drone strike missions... That might be kind of cool to see.

[tekisui]

3. I am sure it's a drone.

[TheMightyFavog]

4. I see a cupola in the picture on the article....

Unless that's some sort of sensor package, that could be a manned craft. But for an endurance time of three weeks... how much room would you need for water, toilet facilities, and food storage? I guess it would be like living out of a fling RV...

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/asd/2010/06/16/05.xml&headline=U.S.%20Airship%20To%20Be%20Based%20On%20U.K.%20Design&channel=defense

According to this article, they will me manned vehicles initially.

[tekisui]

7. You could be right.

I guess a few weeks out of range of any bombs would be a good gig.

[backscatter712]

8. It's optionally-piloted.

It's got a cockpit, so it can be human-piloted if the Army wants to do that, but it's also equipped to fly unmanned.

[Canuckistanian]

5. They tested it in Sarnia, Canada

Here was our reaction:

[tekisui]

6. Thanks for that!

:rofl: :yourock: