Air surveillance

I don't know quite what to make of this.

Police in Russia are taking to the air in zeppelins to track criminals and deal with traffic congestion. Moscow mayor Yuri Lushkov presented five zeppelin airships to local police. He said they would help monitor the city's traffic flow and catch fugitive criminals as well as help control terrorist threats.

If the zeppelins live up to the authorities' expectations, the fleet will be expanded and smaller, two-seated airships will be added to float above the busiest roads and key-points of the Russian capital.

Well they're not as noisy as helicopters anyway, although there's something disturbing to me about airships floating over cities to control civilian populations. It's so WWII-like.

Nonetheless, I can't deny that I always enjoy seeing them fly. For the aeronautically minded who want to learn more about the aircraft, this site as looks pretty comprehensive.