DARPA Walrus

RED HERRING | The Pentagon's Flying Walrus

Also here.

"The usefulness of such a vessel for non-military purposes was evident as New Orleans sank into chaos after Hurricane Katrina left thousands of people stranded, thirsty, and hungry."

"...even a 1-foot-wide hole in the fabric of a 140-feet long airship would not bring the thing down in less than an hour."

"...there is plenty of demand in the private sector for a bigger cargo carrier. The largest fuel-guzzling Boeing 747 cargo plane can only carry 400 tons.

There has to be demand for an airship that could haul 500 tons directly from a Chinese factory to a Wal-Mart parking lot somewhere in the United States."