Navy's modern airship receives historical identification

[VirginiaJim]

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-10-navy-modern-airship-historical-identification.html

Seems that there are still uses for this type of airship.  Amazing.

http://www.nrl.navy.mil/

[gPink]

Interesting,VJ. I would have thought in this age of shoulder fired weapons and missiles the blimp would have been rendered obsolete.

[VirginiaJim]

Yep.  In fact, two naval research bases are within a very short distance from me.  Dalgren and Pautauxent.  Notice the blurb on the rail gun at the NRL site.  That's local to me.  I have rocket scientists living within a stone's throw from me.

[Outback_Jon]

I've been to Lakehurst.  It's amazing how large that hangar that the blimp is sitting in really is.  It was designed to house dirigibles like the Hindenburg.



Figure that the truck on the left is around 10' tall. 

[graham downunder]

Just shows how to waste money,they tried this about 25 years ago .
I mean who was so stupid as to fund this .
Did they realise that these lighter than air things were oboslete in the first world war when a new thing called a plane shot them down by the hundreds.

[VirginiaJim]

I don't think it's meant for warfare.....

[Two Skies]

http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/20/us-air-force-enlists-super-blimp-for-blue-devil-surveillance-ini/

And a background article talking about why aerostats and such are still useful:
http://www.airforce-magazine.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2006/November%202006/1106airships.aspx

On a recent trip past a local Air Force bombing range, I noticed that they had blimps positioned around the perimeter.  I'm guessing they were using them as radar platforms or something.