Paratroopers
could fly 200km with new wings system
by Staff Writers
London (AFP) May 26, 2006
A new military parachute system which fits wings on soldiers could
enable them to travel to 200 kilometres (124 miles) after jumping,
Jane's Defence Weekly defence magazine said Friday.
Austrian extreme parachuter Felix Baumgartner
jumps out of a transport plane, unseen, above Dover, southern
England, at an altitude of 10,000 metres, to cross the strait
between England and France in an unpowered flight on Thursday. With
a carbon-fibre wing fixed on his back, he flew the 35 kilometres to
Calais, landing there with a parachute. With the new technology
being developed by German firm Elektroniksystem und Logistik and
Draeger, paratroopers will soon be able to truly fly. Photo
courtesy RedBull
The system, which involves the development of new modular
carbon-fibre wings, will mean that aircraft can drop parachutists
from 30,000 feet (9,150 metres) into an area of operations without
flying into a danger zone.
Trials of the modular wing are being developed by the German firm
Elektroniksystem und Logistik and Draeger. They are due to finish
by the end of 2006, with the entire parachute and wings combination
expected to be available during 2007.
Peter Felstead, editor of Jane's Defence Weekly, said the new
system has been in use with the German army since 2003, but the
development of the new wing means soldiers can travel much further
than the current 48 kilometres.
"The new wing will also reduce the impact of wind conditions on the
jumper and allow operatives to travel up to 40 kilometres carrying
loads of around 100 kilogrammes," Felstead said.
"The system is reportedly 100 percent silent and extremely
difficult to track by air on ground-based radar systems."
Jane's Defence Weekly reported that the next stage of the
development will utilise small turbo-jet drives, as used on
unmanned aerial vehicles, allowing jumpers to be carried longer
distances without jumping from such extreme heights.
(source:
Spacewar.com)
