Missile Defense Blimps to Be Built in Ohio

A U.S. defense contractor is set to update an 80-year-old factory to begin production of surveillance blimps to be used in missile defense, the Voice of America reported yesterday (see GSN, Sept. 30, 2003).

Lockheed Martin yesterday announced a $24 million plan to refurbish a plant in Akron, Ohio, that built airships used by the U.S. Navy during World War II.

The facility would manufacture the next generation of blimps that would be deployed for up to a month and patrol for low-flying cruise missiles able to evade conventional radar. The blimps would be capable of performing several functions currently performed by satellites, but at a fraction of the cost (Voice of America, March 25).

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