USN, DARPA See Blimps & HULAs Rising

Small business qualifier Integrated Systems Solutions Inc. in Pomfret, MD won a $64 million ceiling-priced cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite delivery/ indefinite quantity contract for research and development services to increase the government's understanding of Lighter Than Air platforms and their usage for sensor technologies. Services to be provided include experimenting with outfitting commercial blimps with sensors and a tactical data link, equipping an airship with Electro Optics /Infrared /Hyperspectral cameras to provide all-weather, day-night surveillance, the use of an Advanced Airship Flying Laboratory to provide a flying laboratory for testing sensors, the use of high altitude airship surveillance, the creation of Hybrid Ultra Large Aircraft (HULA), and training of Test Pilots to fly airships. Blimps and other LTA craft are enjoying a renewed surge of interest in DARPA and the Pentagon....