awesome. I a big fan of airships, they are way cheaper then satellites, that said, this ones budget is ludicrous. 500 million is 400 million too high.

The 500 million figure is for 3 LEMV's not 1 and that figure includes all the very expensive surveillance gear, remote control systems and ground stations. The cost of each hybrid air vehicle is less than 100 million and will be far less than that of an equivalent fixed wing aircraft once in mass production, they also use only a fraction of the fuel requirement of normal aircraft. The real longer term future is with the HAV 366 that is under development for Discovery Air for vertical heavy lift and long range point to point (Off airport) cargo operations in remote areas. The new hybrid air vehicles use a hoverskirt for an undercart and so don't need a runway, just a flat area of land, ice, snow or water.

Lakehurst, NJ, huh? Well, at least we know the builders of this airship aren't superstitious.

I would be concerned about using these for surveillance. I realize that they are less expensive than a satellite, but one handheld ground to air missile and it's game over. The reason that unmanned drones work so well is that they are small, fast and can fly close to the ground. There's nothing small or fast about a LEMV.
I agree that the heavy lift version of this will have some really powerful uses.

The thing about blimps or balloons, ever since WWI, they are such easy targets.

@Mark Dixon There's a naval air engineering station in Lakehurst. I heard someone say the airship hangar there is the largest wooden hangar in the world. I've been on the property of the facility but wasn't able to get a pass to see the hangar during the time I was there. I'd love to pay a visit to the closest civilian location to the base and hopefully see this LEMV in flight.
Oh, and for those who don't understand what Mr. Dixon was referring to, this location in Lakehurst, NJ was where the ill-fated Hindenburg met with disaster while trying to dock.

"... Oh, the humanity!"...Royce Edwards and Warhead pretty much sums it up. I suspect this yet another example of military contract (no bid?) awarded for reasons not discussed in public. 'nuf said.

I think those of you that are concerned with with this being shot down may be missing something. What is its stationary height? I am thinking almost into space..... Not impossible to shoot down, but would require an advanced jet or missile system to do so.

why is it whenever they build a massive airship the gondola is tiny? would it not make sense to utilize the massive underside to make the gondola carry lots of people?

Again, lots of ignorance on display here.
Mark Dixon, alcalde had it right. This is a military program, and Lakehurst has been the Navy's premier LTA facility since before the Hindenburg.
Royce Edwards, operating altitude is 20,000 feet. The Stinger is the best shoulder-launched missile system available and it doesn't have anywhere near that range. And do you think target acquisition would be easy at that distance? What would the heat-seeker of the missile lock onto, especially at that range? Can you easily see an airliner at cruising altitude from the ground? And presumably a production version of this would use something like Compass Ghost Grey coloration rather than white, so you would be hard-pressed to spot it against the sky.
floccipaucinihilipilification, you seriously overestimate the lifting power of helium or even hydrogen.