The Chinese authorities have not stated how the airship will be used but People's Daily Online experts are suggesting that it will be used to hunt for enemy aircraft carriers.
“Yuan Meng may become the pinnacle of the military food chain, soaring high above the South China Sea in search of aircraft. Together with the information collected by satellites, aircraft, submarines and drones, Yuanmeng will allow the People's Liberation Army of China to get a full picture of maritime hostilities,” the publication noted.
The ship will operate at altitudes inaccessible to the majority of air defense systems.
“The main problem in creating a space near the airship was the sharp temperature drop from day and night,” the head of the developers of Yuanmeng, Yu Quan, told People’s Daily Online.