Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Flying high

Okay, this is really too cool.
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. [...]

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.
Jeez, that's some serious altitude. You have to be a damn good skydiver to pull that off. If it works out, the next models will have "small turbo-jet drives' on the wings to extend range even further." Almost makes me want to join the Air Force.

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