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High-altitude airships for the future force army / Lewis Jamison, Geoffrey S. Sommer, Isaac R. Porche

Author:
Jamison, Lewis
Additional Titles:
High altitude airships for the future force army
Published:
Santa Monica, CA : RAND, 2005.
Physical Description:
xxiii, 49 pages : illustrations (some color), maps ; 28 cm
Additional Creators:
Sommer, Geoffrey, 1957-, Porche, Isaac, 1968-, Arroyo Center. Force Development and Technology Program, Rand Corporation, and United States. Army
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Summary:
Across the services, there is an increasing demand for overhead communications capacity. New, lighter-than-air (LTA) vehicles that operate at very high altitudes have an obvious attraction for planners of surveillance and communication missions; the ability to see to a more distant horizon results in greatly expanded surveillance volumes. This report informs the U.S. Army about the usefulness and limitations of high-altitude airships (HAA) in the role of platforms for communications and surveillance suites in theater battlespace. Potential alternatives are solar-powered HAA and airplanes flying at 65,000 feet or above that can remain geostationary for months. Potentially, HAA may provide communications satellite capabilities for the WIN-T network that are less expensive than satellites and may support a Global Hawk-like surveillance package in the Multi-Sensor Command and Control Constellation (MC2C). HAA performance issues include engine power, envelope strength, and permeability, solar-cell power, fuel-cell capacity, weather, launch and recovery, and air defense survivability.
Report Numbers:
RAND/TR-234-A
Subject(s):
Other Subject(s):
ISBN:
0833037595
Note:
"RAND Arroyo Center."
Bibliography Note:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 47-49).
Other Forms:
Also available on the internet via WWW in PDF format.
Funding Information:
Army. DASW01-01-C-0003. AR200 1007. AR200 2503
Complexity Note:
Supersedes RAND/DRR-3434-A.
View MARC record | catkey: 3940709