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The most advanced weapon of the 21st century: U.S. military airships monitor submarines around the world

Looks very much like alien weapons

U.S. military airships monitor submarines around the world

Its reconnaissance capability exceeds that of patrol aircraft (picture)

The "air giant" under development by the US military

The US military's new delivery vehicle - the "Walrus" airship

Eager to develop an aerial "Big Mac"

According to the US "Defense Industry Daily" report, the Pentagon is developing a giant airship. It has a payload of hundreds of tons and can cruise in the air for nearly 10 days. It can monitor the enemy's situation like a reconnaissance aircraft and carry ordnance supplies like a transport ship. It is expected to become an aerial "Big Mac" in future battlefields.

The official name of this airship is the "Walrus Hybrid Very Large Airship". It is a project funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Naval Air Warfare Center is specifically responsible for. According to preliminary ideas, the cross-section of the "Walrus" airship is like an equilateral triangle, using a mixture of the buoyancy generated by helium and the lift generated by the unique aerodynamic hull structure as power. The "Walrus" airship will have a payload of 500-1,000 tons, a cruising capacity of 22,000 kilometers, and can fly continuously for more than a week.

According to US media reports, there are currently hundreds of submarines operating in various oceans around the world. The US military’s existing reconnaissance aircraft have short cruising range and their flights are greatly affected by weather. It is impossible to comprehensively collect and grasp the activity patterns of these submarines, and submarines are considered by the US military to be one of the most powerful weapons against the United States in the future. Therefore, the US Department of Defense has been keen on the development of the "Walrus" airship.

Both reconnaissance and transportation

According to the website of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, since the birth of the airship, military strategists have been optimistic about its huge space and ultra-long endurance. Moreover, it has low cost and short development cycle. In the 1920s and 1930s, countries around the world set off an upsurge in airship research and development. The United States developed the largest airship during that period, the Akron. It has a volume of 180,000 cubic meters, can carry 7 aircraft and 200 soldiers, and can fly 17,000 kilometers. However, several airship accidents occurred in various countries, and the military application of airships was temporarily interrupted. In recent years, the scientific community has made many technological breakthroughs in hull and packaging materials, buoyancy control, etc., and the US military has regained interest in it.

Military experts pointed out that the "Walrus" airship will be an ideal maritime reconnaissance platform. It can be equipped with advanced sensors and tactical data links to conduct round-the-clock surveillance of target areas. Due to the huge internal space, it can be equipped with advanced reconnaissance and communication equipment that drones cannot carry, making its reconnaissance capabilities far exceed those of maritime patrol aircraft such as the P-3C. Its super endurance enables it to effectively detect large areas of sea, and is especially suitable for tracking the whereabouts of enemy submarines. A US Navy official said with confidence: "The Walrus will have the dual functions of a satellite and a reconnaissance aircraft."

The "Walrus" is also a revolutionary transportation tool. Its payload is more than 500 tons, equivalent to the transport capacity of a dozen C-130 "Hercules" transport aircraft. Moreover, it can also be used in harsh terrain conditions, does not require a runway or port, and does not require forward base support, and can take off and land vertically. Its carrying capacity is much larger than that of a transport aircraft, and its speed is much faster than that of a ship. It can enable the US military to quickly deploy around the world during war.

Influence future reconnaissance and combat styles

According to the Russian "Pravda" report, some Russian experts believe that the US military is vigorously developing the functions of "Big Mac" in the air, reconnaissance aircraft and some satellites It will be replaced by the "Walrus", which may change the model of future reconnaissance and combat, and also stimulate other countries to increase research and development efforts in this field. According to the plan of the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center, the "Walrus" development plan will be carried out in steps: first, a large prototype boat with a payload of 30 tons will be tested. Its carrying capacity is equivalent to that of a C-130 transport aircraft. If all goes well, the 500-ton "Walrus" airship will be put into service around 2010