Do we still use Airships (Blimps)?

[RMP91]

I know we used em back in the 20s, 30s, and 40s, but we started weaning off of them from the 50s until around '86...

They were plagued with major technical problems and most did not last very long (The USS Macon and Akron come to mind, both crashed due to weather).

On top of that, they were more or less giant (slowly) moving targets for AA fire, even one hole through it was enough to spell doom for everyone on board.

On the flip side though, they made great recon vehicles...

[paul0660]

The border patrol uses unmanned blimps to watch...........the border.

Otherwise, I think you have to watch a ball game to see one.

[RMP91]

The border patrol uses unmanned blimps to watch...........the border.

Otherwise, I think you have to watch a ball game to see one.

I don't even see them that much at Giants games anymore...

[roll2li]

Yes we do, but they're not manned like before. PSS are used to watch over villages or towns and when the bad guys pop off some IDF they zoom in take some photos and then we send very nasty individuals come by their houses at night.

http://www.militarynewsnetwork.com/magazine/jan2011d.htm

One of the COPs a friend was at had the Tali try to shoot their PSS down, they fired everything they had at it and managed to shell the town next door instead.

[Coded-Dude]

Not in this universe....don't you watch Fringe?

[RMP91]

One of the COPs a friend was at had the Tali try to shoot their PSS down, they fired everything they had at it and managed to shell the town next door instead.

Well, chalk that up to the Taliban being terrible shots

But still, even one hole in that thing and it's goin' down...

[paul0660]

Yes we do, but they're not manned like before. PSS are used to watch over villages or towns and when the bad guys pop off some IDF they zoom in take some photos and then we send very nasty individuals come by their houses at night.

http://www.militarynewsnetwork.com/magazine/jan2011d.htm

One of the COPs a friend was at had the Tali try to shoot their PSS down, they fired everything they had at it and managed to shell the town next door instead.

That is what I am talking about.

[Scuba Steve33]

One of the COPs a friend was at had the Tali try to shoot their PSS down, they fired everything they had at it and managed to shell the town next door instead.

A COP would not have one. A FOB, yes but definitely not a COP.

But still, even one hole in that thing and it's goin' down...

Nope. Going home on R&R I was at a large FOB that had one. I shared a temp tent with some civilian contractors. One of them was a maintenance guy for the blimps. He would go from FOB to FOB to do routine maintenance and check on the systems. He told us one blimp had taken 47 separate rifle rounds. They will remain in the air. I don't know much about them but I'm sure Google will give some useful info.

[Mr.Caketown]

^Some COPs do have them actually. THey are more common than they were before. Where im currently at I can look around and see 8 on a good day and 3 on a cloudy/sandy day

[Scuba Steve33]

You're deployed right now? With internet? That's not a COP lol. A true COP holds one infantry platoon, MAYBE two.

[ZirconJohn]

"Ohhh the HUMANITY...!"

[bill_k_lopez]

Plenty of balloons, blimps, airships - whatever you want to call them being actively used, and in design.

http://www.darpa.mil/Our_Work/STO/Programs/Integrated_Sensor_is_Structure_%28ISIS%29.aspx

[roll2li]

A COP would not have one. A FOB, yes but definitely not a COP.



Nope. Going home on R&R I was at a large FOB that had one. I shared a temp tent with some civilian contractors. One of them was a maintenance guy for the blimps. He would go from FOB to FOB to do routine maintenance and check on the systems. He told us one blimp had taken 47 separate rifle rounds. They will remain in the air. I don't know much about them but I'm sure Google will give some useful info.

The ones I saw weren't put right on the COP, but would be near areas the 2-shop would want to monitor, either close to villages or with the ability to view the COP. The rumor I heard is that they had a ninja compartmentalized self-sealing system like fighter jet fuel tanks to stay afloat.

[Mr.Caketown]

You're deployed right now? With internet? That's not a COP lol. A true COP holds one infantry platoon, MAYBE two.

I am deployed , I myself am at a FOB with a PSTD setup here. However with out going into details Ive traveled to COPS for short visits and one of them had the blimp. They needed it though because they had been getting hit hard all year

[Scuba Steve33]

The ones I saw weren't put right on the COP, but would be near areas the 2-shop would want to monitor, either close to villages or with the ability to view the COP. The rumor I heard is that they had a ninja compartmentalized self-sealing system like fighter jet fuel tanks to stay afloat.

They would be outside the wire??

My point was that a COP is too small to have one. A base is not automatically a COP. A COP holds one infantry platoon, maybe two. It's too small to have those type of "luxuries". A FOB or firebase could have them but most COPs don't even have the basics like running water, let alone blimps.

I am deployed , I myself am at a FOB with a PSTD setup here. However with out going into details Ive traveled to COPS for short visits and one of them had the blimp. They needed it though because they had been getting hit hard all year

A COP with only one platoon? If so that's the first I've heard of blimps being used in COPs. That's great news, glad they have that added support. We sure would have liked one haha.