Indian Army to receive Jetpack Suits to Improve Border Surveillance Efficiency
Image for representational purposes only. Picture Credits: Deccan HeraldTo enhance its border surveillance capabilities, including along the borders with China, the Indian Army will soon be equipped with jetpack suits manufactured by British company Gravity Industries. The testing and demonstration of these suits were recently conducted at the Army Airborne Training School in Agra, where Richard Browning, the founder of Gravity Industries, showcased the jetpack system to the Indian Army. The Indian Aerospace Defence News shared a video on Twitter depicting the Gravity Industries founder flying over a water body, road, and fields in Agra.
The jetpack suit has three jet engines: one on the back and two on each hand, which aid in navigating the air. The Army has fast-tracked the purchase of 44 jetpack suits and issued a request for them. The AATS, where the testing and demonstration took place, provides training in the aerial distribution of materials in various fields, as well as research and testing related to para-dropping.
A jetpack suit is a device that propels the wearer through the air, utilising gas or liquid as fuel. With a maximum speed of 50 kmph, the suit is worn like a backpack and can carry a person weighing no more than 80 kg. The testing of the jetpack suit in India is taking place at a time when the Army is concentrating on strengthening its overall surveillance mechanism along the nearly 3,500-km Line of Actual Control with China, especially after the dispute with Chinese troops on the eastern Ladakh border.