HAV secures first military aircraft reservation for Airlander

Image courtesy HAV

The three aircraft have been reserved by an innovative defence contractor looking to deliver the unique capabilities of Airlander to its customers.

Airlander 10 has been designed and will initially be certified for civil use but its versatile nature means it can be modified to meet customer needs, with its large, rapidly reconfigurable cabin perfectly suited to meeting the fast-paced and ever-changing needs of the military market. Whether equipped with multispectral sensor suites for ISR roles, using the space to transport personnel, materiel and equipment to austere environments, or to hold, release, and recover drone swarms, Airlander offers new possibilities in defence.

Airlander’s robust survivability and low vulnerability, coupled with its ability to remain in the air unrefuelled for up to five days and operate from any relatively flat surface including water, makes it a platform capable of roles not currently possible with today’s aircraft.

This news comes as the defence landscape is changing across the globe. New threats require new solutions and Airlander will directly respond to current and emerging threats.

• Elevated sensing: Missile defences need to be bolstered to counter increased threat – Airlander lifts a sensing payload of over three tonnes enabling high powered radars to remain aloft for days on end, as opposed to hours at present.
• Drone and counter-drone warfare: Extensive, sophisticated, and persistent airborne surveillance is needed, together with the ability to host, deploy, and recover swarms or sensor networks – Airlander can remain on station for up to five days providing a common operating picture.
• Maritime patrol and surveillance: Countering submarine activity and surface threats places great demands on today’s limited air and maritime assets – Airlander can cost-effectively survey large areas, distributing and monitoring anti-submarine warfare sensors and can form a key node in the collection and distribution of threat information.

George Land, Executive Director – Sales, Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd, said: “Its versatility, high payload and endurance have always given Airlander 10, obvious advantages over other aircraft in C4ISR. As warfare evolves to meet current threats this capability is ever more valuable, and we have worked hard to showcase the aircraft’s capabilities. We are pleased to be working with an undisclosed customer to provide three aircraft for further customisation. We expect other military reservations to follow and look forward to providing more detail in the future.”