Technical Issue Kill The Northrop Grumman LEMV Airship Aviation News 6

United States Army has been canceled deployment of Northrop Grumman LEMV, Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle, the long surveillance airship. The only flight of airship was in August last year at New Jersey, even the schedule is originally planned to deployment in early 2012.

 Northrop Grumman LEMV

The LEMV is the second project developed by Pentagon to do some mission in Afghanistan also its second to be canceled by Pentagon because of technical issue. The LEMV programs were launched in 2010, Northrop Grumman received a $154 million contract for a single air vehicle or we know that by airship. The LEMV is designed to carry a 2,500-lb payload in operating altitude of 20,000 ft. Also they equipped by multiple sensors and communications links.

The airship of Northrop Grumman LEMV was hybrid airship, because LEMV using a combination of buoyant, aerodynamic and propulsive lift force. The lift force can extend endurance and ease ground handling. The airframe of LEMV itself is designed by Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) the UK company.