Northrop Grumman LEMV

The Northrop Grumman LEMV, short for Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle, was a United States Army hybrid airship program meant to demonstrate a medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle that could provide intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance support for ground troops. Northrop Grumman was the prime bidder, and its hybrid airship concept, drawn from the British firm Hybrid Air Vehicles, was accepted in preference to the Lockheed Martin P-791. The prototype emerged as the HAV 304, a helium-filled airship with twin conjoined hulls and an overall length of 91 metres (299 ft). The development agreement was signed on 14 June 2010, and the LEMV made its maiden flight on 7 August 2012 over Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. The US Army cancelled the program on 14 February 2013 after technical and performance challenges, and the airship was sold back to Hybrid Air Vehicles in September 2013.