In the movie Iron Man, we saw Tony Stark flying in the sky without an aircraft, but more like one itself, wearing his suit. In the recent Bollywood movie, Pathaan, the lead actor Shahrukh Khan was also seen flying in the sky with the help of some&nbsp;gear&nbsp;worn&nbsp;on&nbsp;his arms and body. These are called jet pack suits, and they do not just exist in movies but are part of real military drills and rescue operations now.

UK’s Royal Navy and the US Marine Corps are already using these jet pack suits in various limited roles and soon, we will also see soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces wearing these suits, as part of military modernisation.&nbsp;

In January, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) issued a Request For Proposal for a total of 48 jet pack&nbsp;suits&nbsp;for emergency procurement through the fast track procedure. According to reports, these might be used along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China&nbsp;in Indian Army’s attempt to bolster its overall surveillance apparatus.&nbsp;

There is only one company that exports these jet pack suits to militaries around the world, Gravity Industries. It is a UK-based company started by Richard Browning. He invented his Daedalus Flight Pack back in 2016 which enables the person&nbsp;wearing hover and fly.&nbsp;

The company, Gravity Industries: Flight Club was set up in 2016 and started building and designing these jet suits.&nbsp;

Speaking to WION, Browning talked about what other gears these suits come with and how their capabilities can be best utilised in the modern military.&nbsp;

How do these jet-pack suits work?

Jet pack suits are different from the ones that we saw in the movies; these are more sophisticated and require a lot of arm strength of the person for manoeuvring&nbsp;the route.&nbsp;

The entire pack of a single jet suit is made of smaller units “to essentially push air downwards and that allows you to rise up. Because it is a suit, it is something you wear, it feels as natural and as intuitive as skiing or snowboarding or riding a bike or even running after a while."

Watch |&nbsp;'World's first female jet suit pilot' hopes to inspire other women

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Once you wear the suit and have proper training in flying, hovering and manoeuvring, it almost starts feeling like your second skin, wearing which “you can go wherever you want to go,” Browning said.

Training to become a jet suit pilot&nbsp;

The training and learning for using a jet suit for flying are different from that of a plane. While it takes at least a year to learn how to fly a plane, it hardly takes a day to completely learn how to fly a jet suit.&nbsp;

Browning said some people take “only half a day to know how to fly them”.&nbsp;

“But realistically, we usually spend a few weeks with militaries fir proper&nbsp;training. But it’s quicker than learning to do most things, and for the military, it’s a very quick process,” Browning said.
<img alt="Jet suits " data-align="center" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="37728f75-2c3d-4fd1-b6eb-ccab718ef6cb" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202023-02-08T145637.523.png" />
Gravity Industries has&nbsp;its own training grounds in Goodwood Estate, England.&nbsp;

“The whole training is done on a platform with safety measures, you can have a long zip wire to train with and then you fly on the water,” Browning said.

And even when you're not flying on water, these safety measures ensure the person a safe flight experience. “Because we have a very precise control and it is vector thrust control that allows us to remain hung even when we are extremely low to the ground”.&nbsp;

A whole new capability&nbsp;

Gravity Industries has been working with these jet suits on two fronts, with militaries and with people who just want a new experience or the thrill of flying.&nbsp;

Browning told WION that they have been “working with half-a-dozen elite special forces around the world, they are all in different stages and development. We train some of them, we have done exercises with many of them and we are working on leases and sales to others.”
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Talking about the relevance of these suits in the military, he said it’s a whole new capability. “It’s like, in some ways when the tanks were invented in the 1920s and the helicopters in the 1960s, it took the First World War and the Vietnam War to really prove just what a revolutionary capability they were.”

“Now, jet suits are not going to have such big entitlements, but it is a startling new capability and whole new tactics have to develop around exploiting those capabilities.”&nbsp;

Drones and jet suits

There was some talk that jet suits can be the next drones in warfare and commercial spheres. But that seems quite far right now because jet suits are still in the developing phase and have some limitations.&nbsp;

But there is one possibility also of using drones with jet suits to make the duo much more efficient. “The lovely thing is that, working with drones, like a drone carrying a weapon or a drone carrying cameras or fuel” increases the usability of jet suits, opening a realm for them in the commercial field as well.

In addition to military operations, Gravity Industries believes jet suits hold potential for search and rescue missions in harsh terrain. At a recent NATO Mountain Warfare Rescue Exercise, they carried out flights in jet suits in separate rescue and military demonstrations. Browning himself donned the jet suit and delivered blood plasma to an ‘injured’ soldier who had been rescued from a gorge in the Slovenian mountains as part of the exercise.

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In the movie Iron Man, we saw Tony Stark flying in the sky without an aircraft, but more like one itself, wearing his suit. In the recent Bollywood movie, Pathaan, the lead actor Shahrukh Khan was also seen flying in the sky with the help of some gear worn on his arms and body.

In the movie Iron Man, we saw Tony Stark flying in the sky without an aircraft, but more like one itself, wearing his suit. In the recent Bollywood movie, Pathaan, the lead actor Shahrukh Khan was also seen flying in the sky with the help of some gear worn on his arms and body. These are called jet pack suits, and they do not just exist in movies but are part of real military drills and rescue operations now. UK’s Royal Navy and the US Marine Corps are already using these jet pack suits in various limited roles and soon, we will also see soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces wearing these suits, as part of military modernisation. In January, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) issued a Request For Proposal for a total of 48 jet pack suits for emergency procurement through the fast track procedure. According to reports, these might be used along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in Indian Army’s attempt to bolster its overall surveillance apparatus. There is only one company that exports these jet pack suits to militaries around the world, Gravity Industries. It is a UK-based company started by Richard Browning. He invented his Daedalus Flight Pack back in 2016 which enables the person wearing hover and fly. The company, Gravity Industries: Flight Club was set up in 2016 and started building and designing these jet suits. Speaking to WION, Browning talked about what other gears these suits come with and how their capabilities can be best utilised in the modern military. How do these jet-pack suits work? Jet pack suits are different from the ones that we saw in the movies; these are more sophisticated and require a lot of arm strength of the person for manoeuvring the route. The entire pack of a single jet suit is made of smaller units “to essentially push air downwards and that allows you to rise up. Because it is a suit, it is something you wear, it feels as natural and as intuitive as skiing or snowboarding or riding a bike or even running after a while." Watch | 'World's first female jet suit pilot' hopes to inspire other women × Once you wear the suit and have proper training in flying, hovering and manoeuvring, it almost starts feeling like your second skin, wearing which “you can go wherever you want to go,” Browning said. Training to become a jet suit pilot The training and learning for using a jet suit for flying are different from that of a plane. While it takes at least a year to learn how to fly a plane, it hardly takes a day to completely learn how to fly a jet suit. Browning said some people take “only half a day to know how to fly them”. “But realistically, we usually spend a few weeks with militaries fir proper training. But it’s quicker than learning to do most things, and for the military, it’s a very quick process,” Browning said. Gravity Industries has its own training grounds in Goodwood Estate, England. “The whole training is done on a platform with safety measures, you can have a long zip wire to train with and then you fly on the water,” Browning said. And even when you're not flying on water, these safety measures ensure the person a safe flight experience. “Because we have a very precise control and it is vector thrust control that allows us to remain hung even when we are extremely low to the ground”. A whole new capability Gravity Industries has been working with these jet suits on two fronts, with militaries and with people who just want a new experience or the thrill of flying. Browning told WION that they have been “working with half-a-dozen elite special forces around the world, they are all in different stages and development. We train some of them, we have done exercises with many of them and we are working on leases and sales to others.” Talking about the relevance of these suits in the military, he said it’s a whole new capability. “It’s like, in some ways when the tanks were invented in the 1920s and the helicopters in the 1960s, it took the First World War and the Vietnam War to really prove just what a revolutionary capability they were.” “Now, jet suits are not going to have such big entitlements, but it is a startling new capability and whole new tactics have to develop around exploiting those capabilities.” Drones and jet suits There was some talk that jet suits can be the next drones in warfare and commercial spheres. But that seems quite far right now because jet suits are still in the developing phase and have some limitations. But there is one possibility also of using drones with jet suits to make the duo much more efficient. “The lovely thing is that, working with drones, like a drone carrying a weapon or a drone carrying cameras or fuel” increases the usability of jet suits, opening a realm for them in the commercial field as well. In addition to military operations, Gravity Industries believes jet suits hold potential for search and rescue missions in harsh terrain. At a recent NATO Mountain Warfare Rescue Exercise, they carried out flights in jet suits in separate rescue and military demonstrations. Browning himself donned the jet suit and delivered blood plasma to an ‘injured’ soldier who had been rescued from a gorge in the Slovenian mountains as part of the exercise. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Jet suits: Game changer in military modernisation, can do what tanks & helicopters did in 90s; what are they?

North Korea`s claim last week that it had tested an unidentified "ultramodern tactical weapon" highlighted its desire to upgrade its conventional arms and reassure its military even as talks are under way to end its nuclear programme, analysts said.&nbsp;

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un witnessed the test of a newly developed tactical weapon that could serve as a "steel wall", state media reported on Friday, without giving details of the weapon.

It was Kim`s first observation of a weapons test this year and could complicate already stalled nuclear talks with the United States, although Washington and Seoul downplayed the development in an apparent effort not to derail negotiations.

&nbsp;Experts say the test was part of Kim`s initiative to shift the mainstay of the conventional military power from a nearly 1.3 million-strong army to high-tech weapons.

"This is sort of like the North Korean version of military reform," said Choi Kang, vice president of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul.&nbsp;

"If we have to find an underlying message to the outside world, it`s `Don`t underestimate us, we are modernising too.`"

New advanced weapons might be even more crucial if the country were to abandon at least some of its nuclear arsenal.&nbsp;

Although heavily-sanctioned Pyongyang is easily outspent in defence funding by Seoul and Washington, the North`s forward-deployed troops, guns and multiple-launch artillery rocket systems (MLRS) pose a significant threat to the allies.&nbsp;

The North Korean military has nearly 5,500 MLRS, 4,300 tanks, 2,500 armoured vehicles, 810 fighter jets, 430 combatant vessels and 70 submarines, according to a 2016 assessment by the South`s defence ministry.&nbsp;

The Centre for Strategic and International Studies said last week it has identified at least 13 undeclared missile bases inside North Korea.

The Washington-based think tank has also said Pyongyang has been developing hovercraft units for its 200,000-strong special forces as part of the military modernisation drive.&nbsp;

Kim has been pushing to modernise production lines at munitions factories and replace aging weapons and technology since he took power in late 2011.&nbsp;

"The defence industry should develop and manufacture powerful strategic weapons and military hardware of our style, perfect its Juche-oriented production structure and modernise its production lines on the basis of cutting-edge science and technology," he said in his 2018 New Year speech, referring to the long-held principle of self-reliance.&nbsp;

The two Koreas agreed during their September summit in Pyongyang to significantly reduce military tensions along the border, and the North has begun deactivating artillery deployed along the skirmish-prone western shore, Seoul`s defence ministry said.

But the pact did not include any removal of MLRS from forward-deployed areas, where some long-range guns and rocket launchers can still reach Seoul.&nbsp;

South Korea`s Yonhap news agency reported the newly tested weapon was a new model of MLRS, citing an unnamed military source familiar with intelligence. Other experts suggested it might be a new, short-range missile.&nbsp;

Kim Dong-yub, a military expert at Kyungnam University`s Institute of Far Eastern Studies in Seoul, said by touting a modernised weapon, Kim could seek to reassure hard-line military generals and the public in North Korea who may be worried about a nuclear-free future.&nbsp;

"With Kim having publicly declared the economy a new priority and saying the North would denuclearise, many in the military who saw a decline in interest and support could be doubtful and anxious because he has not secured significant concessions like an end-of-war declaration," Kim, the professor said.&nbsp;

"It could have been necessary for him to consolidate the nation even though such a field guidance would give a negative signal to the outside."&nbsp;

North Korea`s claim last week that it had tested an unidentified "ultramodern tactical weapon" highlighted its desire to upgrade its conventional arms and reassure its military even as talks are under way to end its nuclear programme, analysts said.

North Korea`s claim last week that it had tested an unidentified "ultramodern tactical weapon" highlighted its desire to upgrade its conventional arms and reassure its military even as talks are under way to end its nuclear programme, analysts said. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un witnessed the test of a newly developed tactical weapon that could serve as a "steel wall", state media reported on Friday, without giving details of the weapon. It was Kim`s first observation of a weapons test this year and could complicate already stalled nuclear talks with the United States, although Washington and Seoul downplayed the development in an apparent effort not to derail negotiations. Experts say the test was part of Kim`s initiative to shift the mainstay of the conventional military power from a nearly 1.3 million-strong army to high-tech weapons. "This is sort of like the North Korean version of military reform," said Choi Kang, vice president of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. "If we have to find an underlying message to the outside world, it`s `Don`t underestimate us, we are modernising too.`" New advanced weapons might be even more crucial if the country were to abandon at least some of its nuclear arsenal. Although heavily-sanctioned Pyongyang is easily outspent in defence funding by Seoul and Washington, the North`s forward-deployed troops, guns and multiple-launch artillery rocket systems (MLRS) pose a significant threat to the allies. The North Korean military has nearly 5,500 MLRS, 4,300 tanks, 2,500 armoured vehicles, 810 fighter jets, 430 combatant vessels and 70 submarines, according to a 2016 assessment by the South`s defence ministry. The Centre for Strategic and International Studies said last week it has identified at least 13 undeclared missile bases inside North Korea. The Washington-based think tank has also said Pyongyang has been developing hovercraft units for its 200,000-strong special forces as part of the military modernisation drive. Kim has been pushing to modernise production lines at munitions factories and replace aging weapons and technology since he took power in late 2011. "The defence industry should develop and manufacture powerful strategic weapons and military hardware of our style, perfect its Juche-oriented production structure and modernise its production lines on the basis of cutting-edge science and technology," he said in his 2018 New Year speech, referring to the long-held principle of self-reliance. The two Koreas agreed during their September summit in Pyongyang to significantly reduce military tensions along the border, and the North has begun deactivating artillery deployed along the skirmish-prone western shore, Seoul`s defence ministry said. But the pact did not include any removal of MLRS from forward-deployed areas, where some long-range guns and rocket launchers can still reach Seoul. South Korea`s Yonhap news agency reported the newly tested weapon was a new model of MLRS, citing an unnamed military source familiar with intelligence. Other experts suggested it might be a new, short-range missile. Kim Dong-yub, a military expert at Kyungnam University`s Institute of Far Eastern Studies in Seoul, said by touting a modernised weapon, Kim could seek to reassure hard-line military generals and the public in North Korea who may be worried about a nuclear-free future. "With Kim having publicly declared the economy a new priority and saying the North would denuclearise, many in the military who saw a decline in interest and support could be doubtful and anxious because he has not secured significant concessions like an end-of-war declaration," Kim, the professor said. "It could have been necessary for him to consolidate the nation even though such a field guidance would give a negative signal to the outside."

North Korea's new 'tactical' weapon test highlights military modernisation

Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed military modernisation and technological advances during meetings with servicemen and women ahead of the Lunar New Year, state media said.

Chinese leaders generally use the time around the festival to make inspection trips around the country where they flag important policy initiatives or areas of concern for the year ahead.

The week-long holiday starts on Thursday, the eve of the new year. It is the most important holiday in the Chinese calendar, when millions of people travel to their home towns, many for the only time in the year.

Xi has made the upgrading of China`s armed forces a key policy plank, investing in a range of new technologies including stealth fighters, aircraft carriers and missiles.

On a visit to a satellite launch site in southwestern China`s Sichuan province on Saturday, Xi told senior officers they should work with more commitment and be steadfast in building China`s strength in aerospace to create more &quot;Chinese miracles&quot;, state news agency Xinhua said late on Monday.

Xi stressed &quot;military training under combat conditions to build the country`s military into a world-class one and improve the country`s strength in aerospace&quot;, the report added.

&quot;Noting that technology was a core combat capability, Xi called for intensified work to make breakthroughs in core and key technologies so that China could take the initiative in international competition,&quot; the news agency said.

Xi also chatted by video conference with soldiers stationed at an island in the Paracels, in the disputed South China Sea, asking them how they were preparing to celebrate the new year, Xinhua said.

China claims a large swathe of the South China Sea and has been ramping up its military deployments there, including reclaiming land on reefs and atolls to build military infrastructure such as air bases.

Xi is expected to visit to other parts of the country before and possibly during the holiday.

It is the most important holiday in the Chinese calendar

Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed military modernisation and technological advances during meetings with servicemen and women ahead of the Lunar New Year, state media said. Chinese leaders generally use the time around the festival to make inspection trips around the country where they flag important policy initiatives or areas of concern for the year ahead. The week-long holiday starts on Thursday, the eve of the new year. It is the most important holiday in the Chinese calendar, when millions of people travel to their home towns, many for the only time in the year. Xi has made the upgrading of China`s armed forces a key policy plank, investing in a range of new technologies including stealth fighters, aircraft carriers and missiles. On a visit to a satellite launch site in southwestern China`s Sichuan province on Saturday, Xi told senior officers they should work with more commitment and be steadfast in building China`s strength in aerospace to create more "Chinese miracles", state news agency Xinhua said late on Monday. Xi stressed "military training under combat conditions to build the country`s military into a world-class one and improve the country`s strength in aerospace", the report added. "Noting that technology was a core combat capability, Xi called for intensified work to make breakthroughs in core and key technologies so that China could take the initiative in international competition," the news agency said. Xi also chatted by video conference with soldiers stationed at an island in the Paracels, in the disputed South China Sea, asking them how they were preparing to celebrate the new year, Xinhua said. China claims a large swathe of the South China Sea and has been ramping up its military deployments there, including reclaiming land on reefs and atolls to build military infrastructure such as air bases. Xi is expected to visit to other parts of the country before and possibly during the holiday.

China's Xi Jinping stresses military modernisation in pre-new year visit

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