The U.S. Navy has deployed a blimp to assist in the response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the Unified Command for the spill announced in a press release Monday.
The MZ-3A Airship is capable of staying in the air for 12 hours, much longer than helicopters or airplanes, and will be used to monitor oil, support skimming operations and detect wildlife that may be in distress.
The airship, a commercial A-1-70 series blimp, began its trip to the Gulf Coast last month in Yuma, Ariz.
It is expected to arrive in the Gulf Coast sometime after July 6, weather permitting, according to a statement from the Joint Unified Command overseeing the efforts
The airship will operate from a mooring three miles (4.8km) southeast of Alabama’s Mobile Bay shoreline.
“The airship will operate relatively close to shore, primarily supporting skimmers to maximize their effectiveness,” U.S. Coast Guard Captain Kevin Sareault, the deputy area commander for aviation, told AFP.
“While different sensors are being considered, one of the primary means for locating oil will be by simple visual observation by the embarked aerial observers. The mission of overflights is to locate and direct surface assets to actionable oil — that is oil that can be burned, dispersed or skimmed.”