Ex-Royal Marines Reservist Richard Browning flew a 1000bhp jet pack suit around the Royal Marines assault course at the Commando Training Centre in Devon.
Royal Marines Captain Oliver Mason said:
“Royal Marines are sometimes called ‘supermen’ for their achievements, but even we stop short at the ability to fly.
Watching Richard float, fly and hover around the assault course was a very impressive, surreal experience. Imagine what we could do with these suits on the battlefield – although Royal Marines pride themselves on being stealthy and one thing the jet pack isn’t is quiet.”
Colonel Mike Tanner, the Commandant of the Commando Training Centre, said in a news release:
“I was delighted to welcome Richard and his Gravity team to test his latest jet suit on our assault course. His endeavour to create this jet suit over two years is emblematic of the Commando mindset. I think it’s fair to say we all wanted a go!”
Browning started up his company in 2017, and has been showing off his jet suit since then. The suit uses six tiny jet engines — two mounted on the wearer’s back, with an additional two mounted on each arm — which allows the user to fly through the air in a controlled flight.
Currently, noise and flight time (or lack thereof) make these suits impractical for use in military service, sadly.
Hey surely it should be the paras using these things
I would imagine that these could be used in a firefight when you want to very quickly change the point of attack and decisively change the dynamic in a bogged down situation. Getting a fire team into a commanding position in very short time across difficult terrain. In that case the noise and flight time would no longer be an issue.
1000 BHP sounds a bit much. That’s as much as five 1000cc Sportsbikes. with a fraction of their combined weight. I’m happy to be corrected.
It is right if Gravity are to be believed… 1050bhp according to their website… Top speed so far 32mph… I’d take the superbike… you’d probably fly further too, not so sure about the landing though…
Happy to have a go too !!!!
This looks like a demonstrator project that will never advance.