SAIC and ZLT Zeppelin to Develop New Pilot-Optional Airships and Market Mutual LTA Product Lines
SAIC and ZLT Zeppelin to Develop New Pilot-Optional Airships and Market Mutual LTA Product Lines Introduction – Airships are a proven, highly effective, but relatively little-used aerial platform for important applications such as persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); national security; and support for deployed troops.
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) [NYSE:SAI] is teaming with ZLT Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH & Co KG (ZLT Zeppelin) to assess market demand and develop the MPZ 07 airship. The MPZ07, a new multipurpose, pilot-optional version of the current Zeppelin N 07, will extend the capabilities of current airship design to a new generation of missions. The Zeppelin N 07 semi-rigid airship considerably advanced the capabilities of airships upon its introduction in 1997, featuring an innovative three engine propulsion system and modern fly-by-wire flight controls. Its semi-automated mooring system eliminates the large number of ground personnel typically required for conventional airship takeoffs and landings. SAIC and ZLT Zeppelin will also collaborate on the development of several larger enhanced airships that will unite SAIC’s autonomous flight-control expertise with the world-class airship technologies of ZLT Zeppelin.
With the ever increasing demand on the battlefield for actionable intelligence, and wide band communications, both SAIC and ZLT leadership believe that advanced airship vehicles are an essential element to providing solutions so avidly sought by military commanders. “By uniting the capabilities of the two companies, we will create a strong engineering team that can develop and deliver platforms which will enable our customers to achieve their objectives,” said SAIC Vice President Loginn Kapitan. Thomas Brandt, CEO of ZLT Zeppelin, added “The leading-edge airship technologies, design expertise, and operational experience we bring to this team will enable the development of more robust mission solutions for current and future defense and civilian customers.”
Features and Benefits
• Manned-airship airspace access and persistence
• Operational flexibility of an unmanned aerial platform
• Modern avionics and sensor platform support
• Support for persistent ISR missions as well as commercial and/or military cargo transport
• Semi-automated mooring system with minimal personnel requirements
The SAIC-ZLT Zeppelin Advantage
• Decades of operational experience and technology leadership in airship design and deployment
• System design, engineering, integration, testing, and operational transition capabilities for manned and unmanned fixed-wing and lighter-than-air (LTA) platforms
“ZLT’s expertise complements our own and provides a team with tremendous technological depth and
experience. SAIC’s position in the U.S. federal services marketplace puts our team in an excellent position in the emerging market for larger multi-mission airship platforms,” said Kapitan.
”Our teaming offers the potential to cross-sell our airship systems to a broad base of civilian and military customers in the U.S. and overseas,” he continued. SAIC’s airship experience includes the design and development of the SKYBUS line of LTA unmanned airships. SKYBUS airships are fully autonomous airshipsthat can carry a wide variety of sensors and equipment, supporting the entire spectrum of security and persistent ISR applications. SAIC SKYBUS airships hold FAA experimental certificates allowing flight operations within the United States. This helps facilitate rapid integration and test of customer driven LTA capabilities. ZLT Zeppelin is based in Friedrichshafen, Germany, and began operations in 1993 to develop, manufacture, and market the most advanced technology manned airships in the world. Its parent company was founded more than 100 years ago by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin.
In partnership with Deutsche Zeppelin Reederei, a wholly owned subsidiary of ZLT Zeppelin, Zeppelin N 07 airships are operated for commercial sightseeing tours, advertising, and scientific missions throughout Europe.
SAIC is a FORTUNE 500® scientific, engineering, and technology applications company that uses its deep domain knowledge to solve problems of vital importance to the nation and the world, in national security, energy and the environment, critical infrastructure, and health. The company’s approximately 45,000 employees serve customers in the U.S. Department of Defense, the intelligence community, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, other U.S. Government civil agencies and selected commercial markets. SAIC had annual revenues of $10.1 billion for its fiscal year ended January 31, 2009. For more information, visit www.saic.com.
For More Information Loginn Kapitan, SAIC, Vice President and Division Manager Intelligent Systems Division
4001 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 600 | Arlington, VA 22203
tel: 703.558.2916 | email: loginn.kapitan@saic.com
Thomas Brandt, Geschäftsführer, CEO
ZLT Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH & Co KG
Allmannsweilerstrasse 132 | 88046 Friedrichshafen | Germany
tel: +49 7541 5900-515
