Britain to buy military airship.
By Paul Majendie
14 June 1993
BELFAST, June 14, Reuter - Britain is buying an airship that could be used as a "spy in the sky" against Irish Republican Army guerrillas in Northern Ireland.
Defence officials said on Monday that Britain was purchasing a Skyship 600 from the United States after it had been put through military tests.
"We will see how it can enhance our capability. Surveillance could be a role," one official said.
The airship will be powered by non-combustible helium to avoid the fire risk that sent the Germany's giant Hindenburg crashing in flames in 1937 with the loss of 36 lives.
The Skyship 600 can fly at about 5,000 feet (1,500 metres) which would put it above the range of small-arms fire. If ever struck by bullets, it would gradually deflate on its way down to earth.
Helicopters with "heli-telly" TV cameras have been the main standby of aerial surveillance for security forces fighting the IRA campaign to end British rule in Northern Ireland.
The helicopters are constantly seen hovering over the ghettos of Belfast, the main stamping grounds of the IRA and their Protestant extremist foes.
Officials said airships have several advantages -- they have great endurance, are economic to run, are able to take heavy payloads and are environmentally friendly.
An airship could be used on a 24-hour basis with directional microphones, high-powered cameras and thermal imaging -- detecting movements by body heat -- for overnight work.
Airships, with much greater capacity than helicopters, would be able to hold sensory equipment more easily than helicopters.
They could be of particular value to British troops in the South Armagh border area known as "bandit country" because it is a major stronghold of the IRA.
BLIMPS ARE BROUGHT BACK AS WEAPONS AGAINST IRA GANGS - NORTHERN IRELAND.
By James Adams.
13 June 1993
THE Ministry of Defence believes it has found the perfect weapon in the battle against terrorism in Northern Ireland: airships. The department has bought a blimp, the first of a planned fleet of four, which will be fitted with a battery of sophisticated surveillance systems to penetrate the secretive activities of the province's paramilitary gangs.
Cruising silently through the skies for up to 24 hours at a time, the six-strong crews will be able to eavesdrop on conversations below, observe the movements of terrorists and film suspicious activities. They will fly at up to 5,000ft, out of range of small arms fire.
A contract has just been signed for the first airship and, if trials prove successful, a further three will be ordered, said an ministry source. Technicians will put the blimp through its paces at the government research establishment in Boscombe Down and in Northern Ireland later this year. They want to test the airship in winter to see how it responds to difficult weather conditions.
The 194ft vessel, a Skyship 600 christened the Prince of Wales, has few similarities with the famous airships flying before the second world war. The most famous of those, the Hindenburg, crashed in flames in 1937 with the loss of 36 lives, ensuring the eclipse of the vehicle for military or civilian transport.
To eliminate the fire risk, the Skyship is filled with non-combustible helium. There is little pressure difference between the helium and the outside air, so it would gradually deflate if struck by bullets.
The idea of using airships over the province has been considered for years but has previously collapsed under what one official called "the giggle factor". He said: "It was just difficult to get people to take it seriously. But the fact remains that it is the perfect platform for all kinds of operations, including surveillance, mine counter measures and border patrols."
Once it enters service, the airship should improve the surveillance capability of the security forces. Until now, they have relied either on ground surveillance, using informers, undercover troops and various technical systems, or on aeroplanes and helicopters.
Such aircraft, however, are noisy, need regular refuelling and are too cramped to house adequate sensory equipment. The IRA has also become adept at finding methods to counter ground surveillance.
Defence strategists believe the airship may give the security forces the initiative against the paramilitary groups by forcing them on to the defensive.
The airship's arsenal will include thermal imaging systems to identify and track people at night, directional microphones to intercept conversations, image intensifiers and powerful cameras. It will also have scrambled communications equipment to allow the crew to call in security forces to deal with any crisis on the ground, and to co-ordinate activity from the air.
No comments:
Post a Comment