浮空器系指利用轻于空气的气体来提供升力的航空器,包括飞艇和气球。浮空器在军事上的应用已有100多年的历史。2004年11月,美国防部批准由导弹防御局负责研制的监视与通信中继高空飞艇进入演示验证阶段,这是一种在平流层可作长航时飞行的飞艇。此举立刻在世界范围内掀起了探索浮空器军事应用的热潮。 Aerostats are those that use lighter than air to provide lift, including airships and balloons. Aerostat military applications more than 100 years of history. In November 2004, the U.S. Department of Defense approved the surveillance and communications relay high-altitude airship, which is under the responsibility of the Missile Defense Agency, to enter the demonstration phase of verification. It is an airship that can be used for long-haul flights in the stratosphere. The move immediately set off a wave of exploration of the aerostat’s military applications around the world.