Military Struggles to Find Helium for Spy Blimp Surge

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hilgenberg
CL 160
CL 160
Beiträge: 300
Wohnort: Marburg

Military Struggles to Find Helium for Spy Blimp Surge

Beitrag von hilgenberg »

Military Struggles to Find Helium for Spy Blimp Surge

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/09 ... imp-surge/

The U.S. military is sending so many spy blimps to Afghanistan that industry is scrambling to supply helium and “cannot keep up with the increased demand” for the containers that hold the gas.

That’s according to documents from the Defense Logistics Agency, the Pentagon office responsible for keeping vital supplies flowing to the warzone.

With their ability to stay in the air for days at a time — and hold more spy gear than any drone — aerostats and airships are quickly becoming surveillance tools of choice in the Afghan War. The military carried out three aerostat surges between last fall and this summer; several dozen are deployed in Afghanistan now. But really, that’s just a scene-setter. Early next year, the U.S. military is planning to send not one, but two “freakishly large” airships to the skies above Afghanistan.
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Die Entwicklungen weltweit sorgen so langsam für erste Marktreaktionen. Die Heliumlieferanten sind (noch) nicht auf diese nachgefragten Mengen eingestellt. Zum einen liegt das schlicht an der Verfügbarkeit der Helium-Trailer zur Auslieferung in den Weltgegenden, wo es grad benötigt wird.
Obendrein sind wohl gerade zwei größere Heliumquellen in Revision, sprich sie liefern derzeit nicht. Das sollte aber bald erledigt sein.

Praktisch, das CL im unbemannten Cargo-Bereich da einfacher auf Wasserstoff zurückgreifen kann. 8)
Das größte Vergnügen im Leben besteht darin, Dinge zu tun, die man nach
Meinung anderer Leute nicht fertigbringt. (Aymé, Marcel)

hilgenberg
CL 160
CL 160
Beiträge: 300
Wohnort: Marburg

Beitrag von hilgenberg »

dazu gehört auch dies hier:

The Military's Airship Renaissance Deflates Over Lack of Access to Helium

http://www.popsci.com/technology/articl ... ess-helium

The second golden age of the airship has run head-on into a logistical snag, Danger Room reports this morning. The military is so eager to get more airships in the air in places like Afghanistan that industry cannot keep up with its demand for helium gas and helium gas containers.

We’ve reported previously that helium supplies are running short (can we go ahead and coin the term “peak helium?”), but that was at a more macro, global scale. The military’s problem is more specific: it needs to get more reconnaissance aerostats in the sky over Afghanistan, and it can’t find dealers that can fill its tall orders for helium.
...
Das größte Vergnügen im Leben besteht darin, Dinge zu tun, die man nach
Meinung anderer Leute nicht fertigbringt. (Aymé, Marcel)

hilgenberg
CL 160
CL 160
Beiträge: 300
Wohnort: Marburg

Beitrag von hilgenberg »

Und noch einer:
Schon interessant, wie viele Medien über diese Themen da drüben berichten, während hier die Meute schläft.

Spy blimp surge needs more helium

WASHINGTON – The military loves its spy blimps so much it needs as many bulk helium gas containers as it can get its hands on to adequately supply the coming armada.

Look up. Tethered Aerostat blimps are ubiquitous over warzone bases. Last year, the U.S. contracted out for bulk containers to supply a surge of blimps to Afghanistan. Since that award, the U.S. announced two more surges are coming, including much larger blimps needing much more helium. Now the Pentagon’s Defense Logistics Agency is “developing an industrial base of bulk helium container manufacturers” to keep the gas flowing for years to come.
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Das größte Vergnügen im Leben besteht darin, Dinge zu tun, die man nach
Meinung anderer Leute nicht fertigbringt. (Aymé, Marcel)

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