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The Northrop Grumman Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle (LEMV), a lighter-than-air vehicle meant to keep sophisticated sensors airborne for weeks at a time, has been canceled by the US Army.
"This project was initially designed to support operational needs in Afghanistan in Spring 2012; it will not provide a capability in the timeframe required," says the Army. "Due to technical and performance challenges, and the limitations imposed by constrained resources, the Army has determined to discontinue the LEMV development effort."
The LEMV programme, more than a year behind schedule and far over budget, was meant to deploy to Afghanistan to support intelligence collection efforts. The Army is in the midst of withdrawing from Afghanistan after 12 years of war there.
Airships, which use very little gas and maintain more-or-less neutral buoyancy, are ideally suited for intelligence missions that require targeting a single area for long periods of time. Conventional unmanned air vehicles (UAV) can fly over 24h, which is not long enough for some applications.
Northrop declined to comment, directing questions to the Army.
Northrop Grumman airship programme cancelled
When Northrop Grumman announced that it was building the Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle (LEMV), it looked as if the age of the great airships was returning. When the LEMV took to the air in its maiden flight, it seemed a certainty. Now, the US Army has announced that the US$517 million program has been cancelled.
When we contacted the US Army, a spokesman said, The Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle (LEMV), a hybrid air vehicle, is a technology demonstration project administered by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command. This project was initially designed to support operational needs in Afghanistan in Spring 2012; it will not provide a capability in the timeframe required. Due to technical and performance challenges, and the limitations imposed by constrained resources, the Army has determined to discontinue the LEMV development effort."
The LEMV was intended to act as a very long endurance aircraft that could hover on station at an altitude of 20,000 feet (6,100 m) for 21 days, for surveillance and reconnaissance.
US Army cancels LEMV airship project
The Northrop video below shows the LEMV taking off.
"This project was initially designed to support operational needs in Afghanistan in Spring 2012; it will not provide a capability in the timeframe required," says the Army. "Due to technical and performance challenges, and the limitations imposed by constrained resources, the Army has determined to discontinue the LEMV development effort."
The LEMV programme, more than a year behind schedule and far over budget, was meant to deploy to Afghanistan to support intelligence collection efforts. The Army is in the midst of withdrawing from Afghanistan after 12 years of war there.
Airships, which use very little gas and maintain more-or-less neutral buoyancy, are ideally suited for intelligence missions that require targeting a single area for long periods of time. Conventional unmanned air vehicles (UAV) can fly over 24h, which is not long enough for some applications.
Northrop declined to comment, directing questions to the Army.
Northrop Grumman airship programme cancelled
When Northrop Grumman announced that it was building the Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle (LEMV), it looked as if the age of the great airships was returning. When the LEMV took to the air in its maiden flight, it seemed a certainty. Now, the US Army has announced that the US$517 million program has been cancelled.
When we contacted the US Army, a spokesman said, The Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle (LEMV), a hybrid air vehicle, is a technology demonstration project administered by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command. This project was initially designed to support operational needs in Afghanistan in Spring 2012; it will not provide a capability in the timeframe required. Due to technical and performance challenges, and the limitations imposed by constrained resources, the Army has determined to discontinue the LEMV development effort."
The LEMV was intended to act as a very long endurance aircraft that could hover on station at an altitude of 20,000 feet (6,100 m) for 21 days, for surveillance and reconnaissance.
US Army cancels LEMV airship project
The Northrop video below shows the LEMV taking off.
