A Navy blimp, identified as the MZ-3A Airship, has been sent to the Gulf of Mexico from Yuma, Arizona to help with the BP (NYSE:BP) oil spill cleanup efforts.
Essentially the blimp will fly over areas close to shore and help skimmers locate floating oil to clean up more efficiently and quickly.
"The airship will operate relatively close to shore, primarily supporting skimmers to maximize their effectiveness," said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Kevin Sareault in a statement. "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."
The blimp doesn't work well in bad weather, so will be limited in Gulf storms stir things up.
It'll be ready to work in the area on Friday.
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