Thaindian News

London, July 12 (IANS) Giant unmanned airships that can fly for up to three weeks at a time could soon be providing cover for British soldiers in Afghanistan, a media report said Monday.
The LEMV (long endurance multi intelligence vehicle) is being developed by a team of British and American engineers and will give troops on the ground valuable surveillance information, Daily Mail reported on its website.

The helium-filled drone will, when it takes to the skies sometime next summer, become the world’s longest endurance UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle).

Packed with reconnaissance systems, the LEMV will be able to operate autonomously at altitudes of around 22,000 feet for 21 days at a time, travelling at speeds of up to 80 knots.

Alan Metzger, director for airship programmes at defence firm Northrop Grumman, which received half a billion dollars from the US military for the project, said that the airship’s ability to stay in the air for long periods make it perfect for surveillance missions.

British engineering firm Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd is developing much of the key technology behind the aircraft which, officially, is not a true airship.

Instead it is known as a hybrid air vehicle (HAV) and has a number of advantages over fixed-wing UAVS like the Global Hawk.

A HAV uses aerodynamic lift like a conventional plane to take off before using helium to keep it in the sky once it is airborne. Engines on board are then used to move while it monitors events on the ground.