LIMESTONE – An unmanned aerial vehicle program using 100-foot-long blimps, also called unmanned aerial vehicles, could be in the offing at the Loring Commerce Centre if $2 million can be found in the coming weeks to fund the project.

The Telford Group Inc., which is in partnership on the LCC with Volvo Aero Services, has two of the blimp envelopes, or shells, at Loring, Loring Development Authority trustees were told Wednesday.

The envelopes were delivered last fall, and work already has been done on them. A meeting of blimp and unmanned aerial surveillance experts from across the world was held at Loring in October.

According to Mike Bouchard, general manager for Telford at Loring, experts are pleased with the area, because the former air base has the large buildings needed for the project and little air traffic.

He said Wednesday that the UAVs can be used for reconnaissance missions – eyeballs in the sky – in military uses or for homeland security in large metropolitan areas.

Telford has ordered new engines for the UAVs. The business also is re-working flight controls and has some engineering work being done on the project.

The research and development to be done will look to expand the capabilities of the units. Homeland Security may want these unmanned units which are controlled from the ground, Bouchard said.

The program would oversee the development of the drone vehicles. Testing would be done in northern Maine, along with certifying their need and implementation, especially in homeland security, Bouchard said.

“Blimps are coming back,” Bouchard told the Loring Development Authority Wednesday morning. “There are many uses in telemetry and for homeland security, for UAVs.

“We’ve acquired $200,000 in seed money to get the envelopes here,” he said. “Now we are working to get $2 million for the R and D program.”

“Loring could become the east coast site for testing and development of a UAV program,” Brian Hamel, CEO of the Loring Development Authority, said at the Wednesday morning meeting.

The LDA trustees were supportive of the project and its continuation at Loring.

“This will all happen right here,” Bouchard said after the meeting.

“We would like things to happen quickly,” Bouchard said. “We have people in place, people scheduled to come in and work, and we only need $2 million, which is not much money.”

The Telford-Volvo group has been on the LCC for some time. The company does aircraft disassembly, warehousing of used parts, the parking of aircraft that companies have taken off-line, and some maintenance of used parts.

Telford also is trying to get Federal Aviation Administration certification for the overhaul and repair of parts for aircraft.

The group presently is garaging eight aircraft, and there could be as many as 52 within months.

Blimps, like those already at the LCC, have been used in the past, Bouchard said.

The $2 million would complete the airships, with engines and controls, and the development of the program. The company is working with U.S. Sen. Susan Collins to get federal money, but Bouchard fears the federal fiscal year starting in October 2004 is too late.

He and his company are pursuing other avenues for funds.

“Testing and research and development would put Loring on the map,” Bouchard said. “The experts were also interested because of the cold weather development that could be pursued here.

“Who knows where this could lead,” Bouchard said.