Lockheed, tiny firm compete for blimp deal

Published: Jan 18, 2006
Source: www.upi.com



LOS ANGELES, Jan. 17 (UPI) -- The race for a U.S. contract to build a blimp for troop transport has come down to Lockheed Martin and a group of Russian emigres at a California firm.

Both tiny Worldwide Aeros, which has 40 workers and makes blimps used for flying billboards, and Lockheed have won $3 million in contracts from the Pentagon to do preliminary design work, the Los Angeles Times said Tuesday.

In September the Pentagon will award one of them a $100 million contract to build a 900-foot airship prototype.continue..