Hybrid Airships introduce the next revolution in affordable transportation directly to the “point of need,” enabling tactical airlift, strategic airlift, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and ultra persistence. Hybrid Airships introduce a revolutionary combination of large capacity transportation with significant fuel economy and reduced operating costs. They can operate from existing infrastructure or service remote “points of need” with austere infrastructure. Lockheed Martin is working with the commercial market to bring the first generation commercial Hybrid Airship to the market in 2014.

Concept of Operations

Hybrid Airships will revolutionize the way logisticians and intelligence analysts execute their missions. Commercial freighters will be able to pick-up product at the point of origin and deliver directly to distribution centers, bypassing ship, train and truck transport. Military freighters will be able to pick up supplies at sea and deliver directly to the “point of need” bypassing ports and ground threats. Nation States will be able to rapidly respond to humanitarian assistance or disaster relief when and where it is needed most. Intelligence analysts will be able to translate real time threat forensics into decisions. Hybrid Airships will enable special missions not currently possible with conventional aircraft.

Key Features

•        Direct access to “point of need”

•        Immediate access to “point of urgency”

•        Optionally manned

•        Very large cargo bays

•        Very large payload capacity: Up to 500 tons

•        Very long range : Up to 6000 nm

•        Ultra endurance for surveillance

•        Faster than trucks, trains or sealift

•        More survivable than trucks

•        Operating costs less than conventional transportation