据defensenews2020年1月10日报道，泰勒斯阿莱尼亚航天公司与法国武器装备总署（DGA）签署合同，研发用于飞艇的情报、监视和侦察（ISR）传感器，以探索在20公里（65600英尺）高空作业的这类平流层平台在风力适中、空气密度适当时，是否适用于法军。公司将提出ISR任务作战概念研究包括模作战模拟演习方案。法军向索卡雷南造船厂采购了6艘70米长海上巡逻舰。由泰勒斯集团控股67%和莱奥纳多公司控股33%的泰勒斯阿莱尼亚航天公司于2016年宣布启动100米（328英尺）长“同温层巴士”（Stratobus）飞艇研制计划，通过单个平台大幅提高监控区域，海拔500公里（310英里）。

French military taps Thales to study ISR sensor options for ‘Stratobus’ airship

The Thales Alenia Space “Stratobus” airship, pictured as an artist’s rendering, has attracted the interest of the French military. (E. Briot/Thales Alenia Space)

PARIS — Thales Alenia Space and Thales signed a contract this week with the DGA, France’s defense procurement agency, to study if intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sensors could work from an airship.

The aim of the project is to see if stratospheric platforms of this type, operating from an altitude of 20 kilometers (65,600 feet), where the winds are moderate and the air density sufficient to carry them, could be useful to the French armed forces.

The companies have been asked to design an operational concept study for an ISR mission, including exercises simulating its use in theaters of operation. The contract, whose value was not disclosed, also calls for a full-scale demonstrator to be built capable of flying in the stratosphere to demonstrate how an ISR mission of this type would perform.

France has ordered six 70-meter-longer offshore patrol vessels from Socarenam, a shipyard in Boulogne-sur-Mer on the country’s northern coast, to patrol its vast economic exclusive zone.

Thales Alenia Space (held 67 percent by Thales and 33 percent by Leonardo) launched development of the 100 meters (328 feet) long “Stratobus” airship in April 2016. Powered only by solar energy and measuring 33 meters (108 feet) across, the balloon would rise on its own to its final altitude, with no need for a launcher. To maintain its position and to withstand winds of up to 90 kph (56 mph), Stratobus would have four electric motors operating 24/7, which are controlled by GPS to keep the vehicle permanently in line with a reference point at ground level.

The energy would be broken down into dihydrogen and gaseous oxygen stored separately in tanks placed in the nacelle. At night, the two gases would be recombined, providing water and electricity to power the balloon.

The Stratobus would significantly increase the area monitored by a single platform, as the high altitude puts the horizon at 500 kilometers (310 miles). Considered a hybrid between a drone and a satellite, it would be able to linger for up to a year over a given area after which time it would have to be grounded for maintenance. During these maintenance periods a second airship would ensure mission continuity.

It is expected that each Stratobus would last five years.