Huge Military Blimp Getting Ready To Fly and Spy

Do you really think the program managers never considered countermeasures like shoulder launched missiles, artillery, etc?
 
Should be funny to see guys trying to take it down with a rpg
 
mesasone said:
Just wanted to add a couple things. I know some airship designs employee multiple "cells", so even if you managed to shoot a hole it in and it started to leak, only the helium from the cell(s) which were punctured would leak.

Additionally, an earlier poster said all you would have to do is shoot it and the electronics would be damaged. Keep in mind that while the envelope (balloon) is the size of a football field, the electronics platform would be much much smaller and very difficult to hit.

Finally, a large part of the appeal of this airship is that it can operate at these high altitudes for over three weeks at time, basically making it omni-present.
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I think that's within effective range of the early flak guns (25,000 feet? I think new ones go up to 60,000). It's a bigger and slower than the planes they were originally designed for, and rather than direct hits, they were meant to detonate anywhere near a plane and spread shrapnel in a wide area. I'd guess a good hit would shread multiple cells.

How much would it take to make, import, or improvise one?
 
Sly said:
I think that's within effective range of the early flak guns (25,000 feet? I think new ones go up to 60,000). It's a bigger and slower than the planes they were originally designed for, and rather than direct hits, they were meant to detonate anywhere near a plane and spread shrapnel in a wide area. I'd guess a good hit would shread multiple cells.

How much would it take to make, import, or improvise one?
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I don't think the Taliban are going to be spending time gazing into the sky looking for a balloon with binoculars.
 
These are actually a lot harder to pick out of the sky than you would think, if there are any clouds at all... they blend very well.

I also think the helium leaks very slow due to the low gradient with atmospheric pressure...
 
Romale23 said:
There have been blimps over the Arizona mexico boarder for years, just sayin
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same in the Keys. "weather blimps" aka cuban spy blimps, most people say. lol

PS: the earth is going to run out of helium soon (fact)... so this won't be viable for long :D
 
lol ones in the keys, look like the one in the article (the 2nd one with rear fins, they are the same size and look exactly so this is not anything "new" since they've been floating there for 10+ years now)
 
realdeadman said:
They are fing crasy! 20k feet? Any bets as to how many 40mm shots to bring it down?
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A lot, I would imagine. max effective ceiling of 40mm BOFORS is only about 13000 feet.

which is besides the point. these platforms will never be deployed in range of any ground based AAA that could hit it.

these are designed to be stable platforms for long range sensors. not something you park over an active Modern battlefield. add in that this can be based from any airfield, not just ones capable of landing jumbo jets such as the AWACS, and with a huge endurance it is a very cost effective in the long run, project.
 
Sly said:
I think that's within effective range of the early flak guns (25,000 feet? I think new ones go up to 60,000). It's a bigger and slower than the planes they were originally designed for, and rather than direct hits, they were meant to detonate anywhere near a plane and spread shrapnel in a wide area. I'd guess a good hit would shread multiple cells.

How much would it take to make, import, or improvise one?
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again, this thing will never be over a large gun of that type, the more effective ones were radar controlled, and weighed tons. not something your to pack on the back of a mule into the Afghan hills.
 
Greene420 said:
same in the Keys. "weather blimps" aka cuban spy blimps, most people say. lol

PS: the earth is going to run out of helium soon (fact)... so this won't be viable for long :D
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.........:confused: wtf you talkin bout willis
 
You could take these down with sustained fire from WWII era flak batteries... but who uses those now? Sure, in WWII these would have been very vulnerable, but today most air defenses are designed for shooting down fast-moving planes or low-flying helicopters. Specially-designed missiles could do the job, but someone has to design and build them, and are you going to field them everywhere on the chance that there might be a blimp overhead? I can see what the military is doing with this. Unless you can get a plane up to 20,000 feet and hose it with a 20mm vulcan or camera-guided missile it's going to be hard to deal with if it shows up because it's logistically hard to field ground equipment that can be effective against it. A modern military power like Russia or China could adapt and cope easily, but smaller nations or terrorist/insurgent groups or nations without much in the line of air power can't do squat about it.
 
Gooch3008 said:
.........:confused: wtf you talkin bout willis
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might run out of helium in the next 25-30 years unless it starts to be recycled, and 100 years even if it is recycled. the price is artificially low as a result of a law passed in 1996. to put it in perspective, the suggested cost of one helium balloon should cost around $100 if you use the true value of helium. right now its sold to cheap to recycle.
 
Monkey34 said:
Your way off. Admittedly, the stinger range wont reach 20000 feet, but it will do 10000, and there's at least one russian one that will do just under 20000. I mentioned it because it is a commonly known SAM name.
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Yeah, and the seeker will get an IR lock on a non-emitting target 10K high :eek:
 
Monkey34 said:
I'm sure not many, but it would be more likely for SAMs like the stinger and other MANPADS to be more available - and just as deadly. Seems like every group under the sun has them.
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God bless America, and it's under the table arms deals.

This thing won't even get close to loitering an area, I'm predicting bad weather and wind gusts will lose it, just send a high altitude glider, like the solar powered one NASA sent around the globe.
 
lol I love how all these experts are chiming in on how easy it is to shoot this down. Our military is one of the most meticulous testers of equipment and vehicles before approving deployment. Ill give them the benefit of the doubt over some internet posters.
 
pigster said:
Do you really think the program managers never considered countermeasures like shoulder launched missiles, artillery, etc?
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Sort of like European heavy cavalry trotting into longbow fire time after time. There was Crecy, then there was Agincourt. I'm not saying they haven't thought it through, but you can find many examples in our military structure where branch rivalry or contractor/lobbyist greed trumps common sense.

eon said:
lol I love how all these experts are chiming in on how easy it is to shoot this down. Our military is one of the most meticulous testers of equipment and vehicles before approving deployment. Ill give them the benefit of the doubt over some internet posters.
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Well, it probably is a bitch to shoot down. It is probably a bitch to fuel, too.
15 cubic feet of consumer/balloon grade helium is about $50.
All things considered it is probably good for what it is being tasked to do.
 
NickJames said:
hindenburg.jpg
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Yep, stupid idea, there sitting ducks for almost any
pea shooter.
 
aviat72 said:
A Stinger at 20K feet? Unless of course it is launched from the top of a mountain 18K feet high.

OTOH this platform is only useful where there is complete air-dominance. Think Afghanistan, Yemen etc.
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How about a hand held stinger missle?
 
At 4 mi. up, while it flies below planes at cruising altitudes, I wonder how many near misses the blimp will have with planes as they descend and ascend. :eek:
 
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