The Indian Army is looking into equipping its soldiers with jet pack suits in order to enhance defence with China Border. Soldiers may soon be outfitted with “Iron Man” suits specifically for use in semi-urban and urban warfare scenarios. A spokesperson for the army, who requested anonymity, stated that the jet pack suits would offer an aerial surveillance platform to better monitor and defend the borders. It remains to be seen when this technology will become a part of Indian military’s defence strategy, but it certainly shows a commitment to staying ahead of the curve in terms of defence innovation.
The officer pointed out that the effectiveness of these suits would vary from place to place. “For instance, it will be less effective in terrain with thick vegetation. Also, the wind factor has to be catered for in higher reaches of mountains,” the officer added. With the conversation with the officer, it appeared that jet pack suits could soon debut in the valley.
Another officer highlighted that jet-packing would not be just about propelling through the air. The soldier could be equipped with other technologies such as infrared goggles to scan thick vegetation to identify enemy combatants.
In February of this year, the Army Borne Training School in Agra was given a demonstration of jet pack suits by Gravity Industries, a British company founded by Richard Browning, a former Marine. The Indian Aerospace Defence News tweeted a video of Browning displaying the jet pack system to the Indian Army.
As per Gravity Industries, the jet pack suit is powered by five gas turbines which can generate over 1,000 horsepower and produce 144 kg of thrust. The speed of the suit is typically in excess of 60 kilometres per hour (km/ph). The jet pack can run on Jet A1 Kerosene and Premium Diesel.
In January, the Indian Defence Ministry said that it intended to buy 48 jet pack suits under emergency procurement through Fast Track Procedure (FTP) under Buy (Indian) category and sought participation in the procurement process from prospective bidders subject to requirements.
“The Government of India invites responses to this request only from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) or Authorised Vendors or Government Sponsored Export Agencies (applicable in the case of countries where domestic laws do not permit direct export by OEM) subject to the condition that in cases where the same equipment is offered by more than one of the aforementioned parties, preference would be given to the OEM,” the ministry said in its proposal on January 24.