Elite special forces troops being dropped behind enemy lines on covert missions are to ditch their traditional parachutes in favour of strap-on stealth wings.
The lightweight carbon fibre mono-wings will allow them to jump from high altitudes and then glide 120 miles or more before landing - making them almost impossible to spot, as their aircraft can avoid flying anywhere near the target.
Resembling a 6ft-wide pair of aircraft wings, the devices should allow a parachutist to glide up to 120miles, carrying 200lb of equipment, the manufacturers claim.
Fitted with oxygen supply, stabilisation and navigation aides, troops wearing the wings will jump from a high-altitude transport aircraft which can stay far away from enemy territory - or on secret peacetime missions could avoid detection or suspicion by staying close to commercial airliner flight paths.
The manufacturers claim the ESG wing is ‘100 per cent silent’ and ‘extremely difficult’ to track using radar.
Once close to their target landing zone, the troops pull their parachute rip cord to open their canopy and then land normally.
Weapons, ammunition, food and water can all be stowed inside the wing, although concealing the 6ft wings after landing could prove harder than burying a traditional parachute. [/quote]
I saw this on the BBC website yesterday, definitely on the must have list.
Apparently someone used an early version to fly the English channel undetected about 3 years ago. Think what that could mean for cross straits business…=-)
That reminds me of “Die Another Day” 007 used something similar to invade North Korean airspace. Scary that the time differenece between fiction and reality is getting smaller and smaller.
[quote=“ratlung”]That reminds me of “Die Another Day” 007 used something similar to invade North Korean airspace. Scary that the time differenece between fiction and reality is getting smaller and smaller.[/quote]Ratlung -
I believe this is the same apparatus (appa-rat-us…heh heh) used in the movie. British toy I believe.
[quote=“TainanCowboy”][quote=“ratlung”]That reminds me of “Die Another Day” 007 used something similar to invade North Korean airspace. Scary that the time differenece between fiction and reality is getting smaller and smaller.[/quote]Ratlung -
I believe this is the same apparatus (appa-rat-us…heh heh) used in the movie. British toy I believe.[/quote]
I thought they were lying on that “aircraft” rather than having it on their back, plus didn’t it have some form of propulsion, not sure anymore.
I’ve ever seen
