Inflated Defense or 1984

This is a blimp that has been floating around DC the past day. It is part of an Army demonstration to political VIPs. I heard it is suppose to be some kind of forward observer, exactly like the dirigibles used between 100 and as recently as 50 years ago by the US Navy. A lot of residents called the Metropolitan Police Department to report a UFO when they saw the blimp brightly lit and flying low over the city early this morning. I hope I'm not the only one asking myself, "Why is our Army using blimps?!"