Lockheed Martin has not given up on hybrid airships despite losing a half-billion dollar order two months ago.
The surprisingly detailed marketing video above appeared on Lockheed's YouTube channel last week for the first time.
After the Northrop Grumman/Hybrid Air Vehicles team captured the $517 million contract from the US Army to build the long-endurance, multi-intelligence vehicle (LEMV), I wondered if Lockheed's Skunk Works division would remain in the competition.
Bob Ruszkowski, a system engineer for Skunk Works, assured me last week during an interview at AUVSI that Lockheed remains in the airship market.
TDL: Can you address what happens to P791 and that program now after LEMV contract award. Is there sill a future for the program and the technology?
Ruszkowski: Absolutely. We are exploring opportunities for hybrid airships beyond LEMV. The P791 demonstration aircraft that we flew back in I think it was 2006 still exists. It's still in our hangar. It's available to use again for other demonstrations. And we learned quite a bit from it, and like I said we're exploring other opportunities for hybrid airships.
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