After more than nine years of war, Army commanders on the battlefield have developed an insatiable appetite for persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. Unmanned aerial systems with ISR payloads have proliferated throughout the battle space, but at an ever- increasing cost. Growing budget pressures have encouraged the study of solutions to reduce the costs of ISR. Airships offer a potential low-cost solution. The Army Space and Missile Defense Command is now developing an unmanned airship the size of a football field that will remain aloft with various ISR payloads for up to 21 days. In June 2010, Northrop Grumman was awarded a $154 million contract to develop a Long-Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle (LEMV), with options for two additional airships, totaling $514 million. The first LEMV is scheduled to be transported to the Middle East in late 2011 for an extended military utility assessment. This paper will address the role and potential gains and pitfalls of the Army adapting long endurance high-altitude unmanned airships. The analysis will attempt to answer the following questions: (1) Are these types of vehicle practical for use in the Army inventory; and (2) What are the potential gains and pitfalls associated with adapting this airship.


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