The USS Shenandoah (ZR-1) was a dirigeable-type of airship built by the Zeppelin company of Germany. It represented the pinnacle of rigid airship design at the end of WWI. The Shenandoah was built to meet treaty obligations, providing the United States with a war prize. The airship was designed to be able to operate with either hydrogen or helium liftgas. It was an airborne aircraft carrier, carrying parasitic observer/fighter aircraft to extend its coverage in observation. It was operated by the United States Navy, and not the USAAC, and treated as a non-capital warship.