UK to trial powered paragliders for stealthy behind-lines insertions
TL;DR
The UK Ministry of Defence will begin trials of backpack-sized powered paragliders from Blakcro to insert Royal Marines and Parachute Regiment troops up to 200 miles behind enemy lines at night, avoiding aircraft drops. The titanium-framed gliders, assembled in about eight minutes, are foot-launched, can carry body armour, night vision gear and weapon mounts, and are powered by a fan. With roughly £6m funding, the trials aim to bolster a homegrown defence supply chain and give troops a covert entry capability; the system is already in use by other NATO allies and could expand UK-made equipment in service.
Topics:worlddefense#covert-operations#defense#military-technology#note-only-five-tags-allowed-extra-tags-trimmed#paragliders#uk-mod
- UK soldiers could get paragliders to drop behind enemy lines BBC
- Rucksack-sized paragliders in the running for covert missions The Times
- UK to trial paragliders for covert operations Janes
- New paraglider could give British troops an innovative way to strike from the sky GOV.UK
- UK troops to trial foot-launched military paragliders UK Defence Journal
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