Missile defense blimp!

Once upon a time, while roaming the commercial-industrial areas of Irvine, California, I cam across a small company designing lighter-than air ships. Most were hybrids. Some with multiple helicopter-like rotors for heavy lifting (as in lifting bundles of logs out of a forest). The owner put aside his work for a while to explain his passion for these craft. It was truly interesting learning about the advantages of endurance, maneuverability, and other features of lighter than air craft.

Recently, I read of naval exercises conducted in the Caribbean wherein the military tested and failed combating cruise missile attacks. These weapons present peculiar problems to defenders (which may be why the US has embraced them and used them successfully in attack roles).

It appears now that our nascent enemies are developing or expanding cruise missile capabilities. It only seems logical that lighter than air craft could find a role to play in defense against this threat.

We have had these a long time. There was one at Ft Huachuca when I was stationed there in 95. I believe that it was for checking immigration. I was down there a couple of years ago, and they had one also.

Beats me but it's very interesting. Something is up.