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| Science & Technology |
| Special Forces to use strap-on "Batwings" instead of parachutes |
| 2006-06-07 |
| By Matthew Hickley, Daily Mail This is soooooo 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. The technology was demonstrated in spectacular fashion three years ago when Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner - a pioneer of freefall gliding - famously 'flew' across the English Channel, leaping out of an aircraft 30,000ft above Dover and landing safely near Calais 12 minutes later. . . . Now military scientists have realised the massive potential for secret military missions. Resembling a 6ft-wide pair of aircraft wings, the devices should allow a parachutist to glide up to 120miles, carrying 200lb of equipment, the manufacturers claim. "Holy glide-slope, Batman!" "That's a strange religion you adhere to, Boy Wonder, but the First Amendment protects it all the same. Now, quickly, to the Bat-mobile!" 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 Dada-dada-dada-dada-da! Bat-Man! |
| Posted by:Mike |
| #11 I realize many US servicemembers, Gen'rals and Ad'mirls included, loved BATMAN in their younger days but isn't this going a bit too far? Furthermore, didn't the Army love the traditional static parachute becuz it landed soldiers, units, and firepower precisely where the Army wanted 'em!? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2006-06-07 21:46 |
| #10 I got a brief laugh when a news story abbreviated the headline to say "Special Forces To Use Strap-Ons". Guys, you're just supposed to kill them. There's no need to do that to them when they're dead. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-06-07 20:50 |
| #9 Well, I don't think it's been marketed for the spelunking BASE-jumping billionaire crowd. Well, I heard Bruce Wayne bought one. |
| Posted by: Abdominal Snowman 2006-06-07 20:46 |
| #8 #6 Drop a few of this men into wazoo with this getup and we be hearing horror stories about demons from hell. :) hence: the Chupacabra! |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-06-07 20:22 |
| #7 Baumgartner Airborne Transport Systems Horizontal Infiltration Technique (BATSHIT). Well done, sir! |
| Posted by: Raj 2006-06-07 19:46 |
| #6 Drop a few of this men into wazoo with this getup and we be hearing horror stories about demons from hell. :) |
| Posted by: djohn66 2006-06-07 19:19 |
| #5 Well, I don't think it's been marketed for the spelunking BASE-jumping billionaire crowd. |
| Posted by: Korora 2006-06-07 17:51 |
| #4 Baumgartner Airborne Transport Systems Horizontal Infiltration Technique (BATSHIT). |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2006-06-07 16:50 |
| #3 Tried to build one of these when I was a kid. You can guess the result. |
| Posted by: texhooey 2006-06-07 16:29 |
| #2 This is getting weird, beam me up, Scotty. |
| Posted by: wxjames 2006-06-07 15:11 |
| #1 Ooooooooooh, Mom! C'n I have a pair of those for Christmas?!?!?!?!?!? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-06-07 15:09 |