The United States Department of Defense Missile Defense Agency has contracted Lockheed Martin to construct a high-altitude airship (HAA) to enhance its Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS).
An unmanned lighter-than-air vehicle, the HAA, is designed to operate above the jet stream in a quasi-geostationary position to deliver persistent station keeping as a surveillance platform, telecommunications relay, or a weather observer. They propose to launch their HAA in 2008. The airship would be in the air for up to one month at a time and can survey a 600 mile diameter of land. It will use solar cells to provide its power and will be unmanned during its flight.
It will have the capability to survey a 600 mile diameter of land whether that be for surveillance, weather observations etc. It is to be composed of high strength fabrics to minimize weight as well as lightweight propulsion technologies. It will operate at a height of above 60,000 feet and will have a payload for military use. It will be around 500 feet long and 150 feet in diameter.