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DATE:30/12/09
SOURCE:Flight International
US Army revives hybrid airship interest with LEMV
By Stephen Trimble
Reviving interest in untethered lighter-than-air technology after a half-century hiatus, the US Army in January will kick-off a process to buy a long-endurance hybrid airship to deploy within 18 months to Afghanistan for surveillance missions.
Space and Missile Defense Command will issue a request for proposals for the long-endurance multi-intelligence vehicle (LEMV) contract on 29 January, the agency says.
An acquisition notice posted on 29 December describes the command's requirements for the airship. LEMV will be optionally manned, fly for up to three weeks, carry multiple intelligence payloads weighing up to 1,134kg (2,500lb), provide 16kW power and reach speeds up to 80kt (148km/h).
The army will test the airship's performance during the first 18 months, then deploy the airship into combat service in Afghanistan for the next 3.5 years, says the notice.