Army Preps ‘Unblinking Eye’ Airship for Afghanistan

This should be interesting to see if it works or gets shot down. It also may be able to explain certain UFO sightings resembling the craft??


Here's the entire article from the source. It was short so it fit here nicely.

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.

I wonder if this is what they'll use also when they deem that flying them around the US justifies their mission on terrorism?

reply to post by mikelee


Cool but big and at only 20000' , way to easy to shoot down...

But what is 1/2 billion$ with US tax payers footing the bill???

Originally posted by virgom129
Cool but big and at only 20000' , way to easy to shoot down...

Maybe the dramatic music will scare potential attackers away.



Speaking seriously, what can be used by the Taliban to shoot this blimp down?

reply to post by Dewi Winters


Cool Vid..but,
Give it ears and a trunk then it is complete...

A White Elephant....

Another waste of taxpayers money.....

The US has control of Afghan airspace so why the 1/2 billion dollar show piece????????

Looks like more "Money for Mates" program....

Good lord they go and spend all that money on a blimp when they already, allegedly, have had a stealth blimp in service for decades oh well maybe they still want to keep it a secret.

it's the funniest thing i have ever seen taking off on an airstrip!
lol

i imagine generals watching this thing tumble around and declaring:
-sir, with this the war is won. here is your money.

reply to post by mutante


Hmm yeah well that "thing" can carry a lot of weight and is self-sealing.
Try thinking about a specter version.Only with a lot more weapons.

reply to post by virgom129


Unfortunately. WE paid for this thing. I reckon the multi millions spent on spy satellites was cut, so they decided to build a balloon

Add it up, this isn't for over seas.

It's going to be used here. Satellites can zoom into a quarter on the ground, but they don't have the same effect this thing would have on the masses. Know that feeling you get when a cop cruiser gets behind you even though you've done nothing wrong? Take that, and put it on everyone within a 200 mile radius.

Kewl!!!

Blimps make awesome long-term high-efficiency platforms for radar, coms, even weapons. many of the advantages of drones with even more staying power.
at altitude they are almost invisible to the eye, and more so to radar. most munitions will simply rip through the fabric. LTAs (Lighter Than Air) were used in WWII (almost forgotten) mostly for antisub duty.
imagine the shock and awe effect in some of these third world countries (or for that matter the developed world...)

reply to post by Dewi Winters


The stinger missiles that the u.s gave them in the 80s to use against the soviets..

reply to post by Expat888


Does this thing produce a good enough or any heat signature? Those fans look electric or remote controlled to me.

Originally posted by mikelee
This should be interesting to see if it works or gets shot down. It also may be able to explain certain UFO sightings resembling the craft??

Here's the entire article from the source. It was short so it fit here nicely.

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.

I wonder if this is what they'll use also when they deem that flying them around the US justifies their mission on terrorism?

It seems that by the time this will be used, Obama's date for withdrawal will have passed. Makes you wonder...

reply to post by Throwback


I was thinking that too. Perhaps they will be ther helping the droans so there won't be any boots on the ground?? We will be there for a while

Originally posted by Expat888
reply to post by Dewi Winters

 

The stinger missiles that the u.s gave them in the 80s to use against the soviets..

The stinger has a 12k feet ceiling, that's 8k short. Also the stinger uses infrared homing and it will probably not lock into a blimp.

[edit on 26-6-2010 by daniel_g]