US Navy Tests Iron Man-Like Jetpacks

Gravity Industries showcased their Iron Man-like jetpacks at a field training exercise earlier this month in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Gravity worked with the Joint Prototyping and Experimentation Maritime program at Naval Surface Warfare Center to conduct multiple mock exercises with the jetpacks, including rapid transit from shore-to-sea and sea-to-shore missions. 

Each jetpack is powered by five micro jet turbines that generate about 1,000 horsepower.

In the video, two pilots maneuvered from ship to shore and shore to ship to demonstrate the impressive capabilities the jetpacks can one day give Tier 1 operators. 

The suit can run on jet fuel, diesel, or kerosene. Users can travel as fast as 80 mph and reach an altitude of 12,000 feet. However, both pilots in the video performed maneuvers at lower heights for safety purposes.  

In the near future, jetpacks will likely be deployed with special forces units on the modern battlefield. The Brits are already flying theirs around.