I am excited to see that my favorite, absurd sensor platform is back. Of course using a blimp for Homeland Security isn’t as cool as using it on the front lines in theater for over the horizon track data, but it tickles me nonetheless. snz
Blimps!
August 8th, 2003 · 1 Comment
Tags: Defense
1 response so far ↓
1 nic // Sep 30, 2003 at 2:01 pm
Contract awarded:
Lockheed Martin Gets Grant To Develop High-Altitude Airship
September 29, 2003
Lockheed Martin has received a contract worth at least $40 million to develop a high-altitude, unmanned airship for use in homeland defense.
Officials with Lockheed Martin’s Maritime Systems and Sensors’ facilities in Akron say the airship is a great marriage of old and new technologies.
The solar-powered and helium-filled airship would patrol at 65,000 feet and be 25 times larger than the Goodyear blimp.
If the contractor, the Missile Defense Agency, grants additional phases of the project, Lockheed’s deal could be worth an additional $59 million through production of a prototype.
Lockheed officials say they believe the airship would use some sort of radar functional from 65,000 feet, but that hasn’t been finalized.
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