If this doesn't make you want to join the Navy, then nothing will...

https://news.sky.com/video/share-12293238

They've been trialing them for some time now. I fail to see any meaningful military use for this tech. Join the RAF and you get wings and a fuselage too!

Defense budget cuts?

Tim Wilson does a song about jetpacks.  Definitely not family friendly, otherwise I'd include a link.

Jon

Quote from: RailGooner on May 02, 2021, 06:53:13 PM
They've been trialing them for some time now. I fail to see any meaningful military use for this tech. Join the RAF and you get wings and a fuselage too!

and a cockpit canopy to keep you dry when it's raining 

Quote from: RailGooner on May 02, 2021, 06:53:13 PM
They've been trialing them for some time now. I fail to see any meaningful military use for this tech. Join the RAF and you get wings and a fuselage too!

Yes, but you can't drop onto the corner of the deck of a moving ship suspected of drug running or that's been taken over by pirates!

I'm guessing that's the application they're thinking of.

The Great North Air Ambulance has been trying it too - assessing the potential to get a paramedic to a fell rescue casualty faster than walking/plodding up if the terrain or conditions prevents the helicopter landing close enough.

Quote from: chrism on May 02, 2021, 07:37:17 PM
The Great North Air Ambulance has been trying it too - assessing the potential to get a paramedic to a fell rescue casualty faster than walking/plodding up if the terrain or conditions prevents the helicopter landing close enough.

Awesome application. That'd be a fantastic solution.

the pirates would probably fill him full of holes before he landed

Regards,

Alex

Quote from: emjaybee on May 02, 2021, 07:42:57 PM

Quote from: chrism on May 02, 2021, 07:37:17 PM
The Great North Air Ambulance has been trying it too - assessing the potential to get a paramedic to a fell rescue casualty faster than walking/plodding up if the terrain or conditions prevents the helicopter landing close enough.

Awesome application. That'd be a fantastic solution.

It certainly would.

In such a situation, they'd still need the MRT to carry the  casualty to where the helo could land (or get the coastguard one to hoist them, if conditions are suitable for that of course) but at least they could get the casualty's condition better stabilised beforehand - and faster.

I get the GN Air Ambulance trial - I can see many meaningful civilian applications particularly search and rescue. But as Alex says, the pirates can attack our Naval Rocketeer before he lands and since his hands are occupied keeping him airbourne he can't return fire.

Quote from: RailGooner on May 02, 2021, 08:10:54 PM
I get the GN Air Ambulance trial - I can see many meaningful civilian applications particularly search and rescue.

I doubt it'd be a great advantage in the search phase - I don't think the flight duration is, or will become, anywhere near sufficient so drones (which I believe the MRT are also trialling), search dogs and experienced boots on the ground will still serve best.

Once the casualty is located however, if their injuries are more severe than the MRT medics can handle, then a jetpack equipped paramedic could be there much faster than having to walk from where the air ambulance can land.

Quote from: Hailstone on May 02, 2021, 07:50:00 PM
the pirates would probably fill him full of holes before he landed

Regards,

Alex

Not sure I'd want some trigger happy pirate firing an SAGW up my rear end

They have certainly been featured in Mountain Rescue teams on the telly up here in Lancashire but the expense of the jetpack is enormous.

All I can say is, eeek!

Quote from: Hailstone on May 02, 2021, 07:50:00 PM
the pirates would probably fill him full of holes before he landed

Regards,

Alex

Almost as barking as them sending someone up a ladder on the longest bit of fuselage, again cannot return fire as climbing - would have to say this would be PPP in the extreme to think that was the practical way to board a ship...
Lets have someone in the air who cannot fire back, they if they do land can drop a ladder for someone else who can't return fire to climb aboard - madness...

(I know it was more about the stunt and video than a real scenario but still...)

not another case of someone from MOD buying a pile of useless yank equipment is it by any chance ?

IIRC this idea was used at an opening of the Olympics, then shelved as not practical.

just hope it doesn't have the same computer system as the F-35, I remember watching the series on tv on 617 being trained in the states on theirs, one of the missions was cancelled cause when the pilot tried to log into the computer it said NO.