Navy sends in airship to assist in Gulf oil spill cleanup efforts

Last month, the Navy's enormous MZ-3A Airship slowly made its way from Yuma, Arizona, and is expected to arrive in the Gulf some time today to aid in cleanup and wildlife relief efforts. It will assist in coordinating skimming efforts and be on the lookout for injured animals along the coastline.

U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Kevin Sareault, Deputy Area Commander for Aviation, Unified Area Command, Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response said of the airship's primary objectives:

“The airship will operate relatively close to shore, primarily supporting skimmers to maximize their effectiveness. 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.”

This article appears in Jul 1-7, 2010.