Nemesis for all enemies, ISIS (Integrated Sensor is Structure program) airship by DARPA, will detect and track a multitude of air/ground targets, synchronized with providing wideband communications. This airship will hover above earth at an altitude of 70,000 feet and will be capable to ’see’ out to 180 miles. ISIS will be equipped with a dual-band UHF radar for tracking ground vehicles or soldiers, and an X-band radar for spotting cruise missiles about 370 miles away.
It will operate outside controlled air space and out of the range of most surface-to-air missiles. Life span of this blimp is estimated to be 10 years and it will remain aloft for a year at one go.
This airship will house an active electronically scanned array (AESA) antenna. It will be highly sensitive owing to its large aperture, and will have a thickness of only one centimeter (0.4in). ISIS will be powered by solar energy during the day and hydrogen fuel cell can be run at night using water electrolyzed in the day. First, the 1:3 scale demonstration model will be built and be used to calibrate various performance characteristics. Lockheed Martin and Raytheon have been awarded a $400 and $800 million contract respectively for building these airships. This will take military surveillance capabilities to a whole new level.
Via: Flightglobal/ Defence Talk
