What You Need to Know: Nearly a century ago, the U.S. Navy ventured into the skies with the Akron-class airships, USS Akron and USS Macon, pioneering the concept of flying aircraft carriers. These massive airships, each measuring 785 feet in length, were designed to serve as "eyes of the fleet," capable of carrying and launching smaller aircraft for reconnaissance missions.

Despite their innovative design and potential advantages over traditional ships, both airships met tragic ends.

USS Akron crashed in 1933 due to severe weather, resulting in the loss of 73 crew members, while USS Macon was lost over the Pacific Ocean in 1935. The twin disasters led the Navy to abandon airship development and focus on other aviation technologies.

Perhaps the only weapon more formidable than an aircraft carrier for a modern military is a flying aircraft carrier. Almost one century ago, the U.S. Navy explored the concept of airships through the development of the USS Akron and USS Macon. Representing the crux of the service’s lighter-than-air (LTA)........

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