LEMV: Not Your Father's Blimp Lockheed Martin Military Struggles To Find Helium For Spy Blimp Surge -- Danger Room
The U.S. military is sending so many spy blimps to Afghanistan that industry is scrambling to supply helium and "cannot keep up with the increased demand" for the containers that hold the gas.
That's according to documents from the Defense Logistics Agency, the Pentagon office responsible for keeping vital supplies flowing to the warzone.
With their ability to stay in the air for days at a time — and hold more spy gear than any drone — aerostats and airships are quickly becoming surveillance tools of choice in the Afghan War. The military carried out three aerostat surges between last fall and this summer; several dozen are deployed in Afghanistan now. But really, that's just a scene-setter. Early next year, the U.S. military is planning to send not one, but two "freakishly large" airships to the skies above Afghanistan.
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