Airship (Anime)

An airship (飛行船) is a lighter-than-air craft that uses buoyant gasses to float in the air.

Airships vary in their design, but most appear to possess a rigid frame due to the ribbing that can be seen through the envelope, and the envelope themselves do not deflate once the airship has landed. Their propellers are mounted next to a large compartment nearly 2/3rds as long as the airship's frame. The bridge, machine guns, and carrying areas are all in one compartment under the ship.

Prior to the year 850, airships were only in possession of nations outside of Paradis Island, due to its century-long isolation from the rest of the world. However, by 854 the Scout Regiment was able to obtain an airship of their own, which they use to extract troops from the raid on Liberio.

History
In the year 817, Marley was operating at least one airship. This airship was followed by Grisha and Fay Jaeger out of the internment zone to its hangar, where they would get punished by Marleyan officers of the Public Security for trespassing. After his physical punishment, Grisha was allowed to continue watching the craft with the officer.

Marley arc
In the closing stages of the Marley Mid-East War, the Marleyans employ an airship to survey the battlefield and prepare an attack on the enemy position, floating high above Fort Slava. Along with the captive Eldians, who are to be transformed into Titan fodder, Reiner Braun and Zeke Jaeger are preparing to jump and assault the fort. After the armored train has been disabled, the Eldians are parachuted down from the airship's hold. While in mid-air they are transformed by Zeke into Titans, and employed as both a kinetic bombardment and living weapon as some survive the landing and start wreaking havoc on the fort's defenders. Reiner follows them down to take out the remaining anti-Titan artillery, and is soon followed by Zeke. The airborne operation succeeds in taking the fort and annihilating the Mid-East Allied Navy, but Reiner is left grievously wounded.

Shortly afterwards, Eren Jaeger initiates an attack on the Marleyan city of Liberio. The Scout Regiment plants lights on rooftops to mark a path, which turns out to be the path that their airship -piloted by Onyankopon- takes during the troop extraction. Using their omni-directional mobility gear, the forces of Paradis extract themselves from the battlefield. Noticing this, Porco Galliard attempts to destroy the craft using his Titan, but is immobilized by Mikasa Ackermann and Eren's Attack Titan. After claiming the War Hammer Titan, Mikasa takes Eren up into the airship. By killing a Scout, Gabi Braun and Falco Grice also manage to board the airship, where Gabi shoots into the crowd of celebrating soldiers and inadvertedly kills Sasha Braus. They are then subdued, before being taken towards the cockpit and to Zeke, where he reveals that this was all part of his plan. The airship encounters no further resistance, and arrives safely at Paradis Island.

War for Paradis arc
As a retaliation for the Raid on Liberio, the Marleyan military sends a flight of airships to attack Shiganshina and take the Founding Titan. After dropping their complement of troops and equipment, including an anti-Titan artillery provision for the Cart Titan, the airships loiter above, and they rain down fire upon the Jaegerist forces using their machine guns. However, they are helpless as soon as Zeke arrives; his barrage of stones brings down the five loitering airships and one of them crashes onto the gate to Wall Maria, blocking it.

After Eren unlocks the Founder's power and unleashes the Rumbling, the two remaining airships return back to the mainland to deliver the grim news.

As the Rumbling nears Fort Salta, the airships stationed there take off, sent to bombard the Founding Titan and its Wall Titans using explosive barrels. However, the fort's commander panics when he notices a flash of light from the Founder and orders the ships to drop their payload immediately. Due to the high altitude of the drop the bombing does minimal damage to the Rumbling. In response to this, Zeke Jaeger's Beast Titan manifests from the back of his own Titan, and the Beast generates fragments to lob at the airships. Fort Salta's fleet falls, leaving it defenseless. The wreckages are subsequently trampled by the Rumbling.

Trivia

 * Due to their designs incorporating a rigid, supportive frame, most of the airships seen would be classified as s.