The Military Times notes the unveiling of a Navy airship at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.

The MZ-3A is the Navy’s scientific test platform for surveillance cameras, radars and other sensors…[used] “to prove LTA [lighter-than-air] has a place in our military construct,” said Cmdr. Jay Steingold.

The slow, long-endurance vehicles are variations on the blimp/dirigible and could fill a variety of roles.  The Navy isn’t the only one to have such a program: 

“You can operate an airship for 40 percent of the cost of fixed-wing or helicopters,” said [Steve] Huett…”The Army has a big airship program called LEMV, and the Air Force has one called Blue Devil.”

Airships obviously aren’t defensible, in the traditional air-to-air sense of the term.  But in a permissive environment, the airship could provide long-endurance oversight — not unlike some UAVs flying today.