The thing about attacking pirates is that you’re not allowed to swing onto their ships using your rigging any more. So the UK’s Royal Navy testing out Gravity Industries’ Jet Suit as an aid to getting a team on board a ship that doesn’t want them there… makes a kind of sense. And it looks a little like Tony Stark testing his first Iron Man suit over the ocean.
Yes, this is a real thing. No, we’re not sure when Britain’s sailors will be using them in a real-world situation. But, when they do, hopefully someone’s running a live stream because it looks rather awesome.
Defying: Gravity Industries
Look, ever since the Stuff team were kids, we were promised a future that included soldiers with jet-packs. Even so, it’s a little strange to see it actually happening. Gravity Industries’ Jet Suit has been showed off in military situations previously but this is the first time we’ve seen a more practical exercise being conducted — in the ocean, no less.
The tests were conducted over three days, using the HMS Tamar, and saw Royal Marines using the company’s Jet Suit to board a ship in motion. The boarder then drops a ladder or lines so that the rest of the boarding party can “visit, board, search, and seizure.” It doesn’t sound like you want to be the person being visited by the Marines practising zipping through the air.
Gravity Industries has put its Jet Suit through its paces with the assistance of the Dutch Maritime Special Operations Force, with a similar boarding exercise, and has also been used in mountain rescue scenarios. Because when you have most of an Iron Man suit, you’re kind of obliged to act like a hero.
Source: Business Insider
