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THE WILD BLUE YONDER — Gravity Industries is a British company that makes a jetpack they call the Jet Suit. Founded by Richard Browning just four years ago, they're doing things that most jetpack companies could only dream about.
Want to see for yourself? Check out this video of a Jet Suit pilot taking part in exercises with the Royal Marines.
"Proving we have the crazy maneuverability and control to land on a bouncing rib at 15 knots, backwards," boasts the caption from the Jet Suit video.
These Jet Suits are undeniably awesome, soaring up to 1,200 feet in altitude and reaching 80 mph. And the thing that gets me is they just look so smooth as they cruise through the air.
"In comparison to conventional maritime boarding operations, usually through fast-roping from a helicopter, jetpack technology potentially provides a stealthier and more mobile alternative for Marines, particularly as the technology advances and becomes increasingly streamlined," Victoria Bosomworth, an associate aerospace and defense analyst at GlobalData, tells naval-technology.com.
"If proven successful in meeting necessary criteria," she continued, "one of the long-term benefits jetpacks could provide is possible cost-saving within the Navy, reducing expenses in terms of infrastructure and maintenance as well as leading to potentially fewer rotorcraft procurements in the future."
Whether or not these Jet Suits ever become a staple for the Royal Marines, there's no doubt that they must be a blast to train with.
Have You Seen This?
Fearless wolf bites grizzly bear on the behind
How many times would you bite a grizzly bear on the rump? In the case of this wolf, the answer is three.
