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- Militaries and private companies are developing super futuristic technologies intended to make troops able to fly around battlefields in automated and armored suits.
- Jet suits, hoverboards, and miniature drones all seem like fodder for a sci-fi movie, but militaries around the world are looking to employ these technologies.
- From enhanced night vision goggles to motorized body armor, INSIDER found the most futuristic military technology in development — or already on the battlefield.
- Visit Business Insider’s home page for more stories.
Militaries and private companies around the world are developing new technologies that turn warfighters into super soldiers. Jet-powered suits that allow the wearer to hop between boats moving at 20 knots and flying hoverboards are just the start of it.
The Russian military is developing motorized body armor that looks like it belongs on "Star Wars’" Boba Fett. And the hoverboard isn’t just something from "Back to the Future," it’s a real invention that France’s Franky Zapata successfully used to cross the English Channel this week.
The Russian military, as well as the US, France, and Great Britain, are all developing futuristic technologies that seem like something straight out of a Marvel blockbuster. But these technologies aren’t far off in the future; many are already in testing phases — or in use on the battlefield.
Read on to see some of the most wild, futuristic military tech out there.
French inventor Franky Zapata’s high-flying hoverboard made it all the way to France’s Bastille Day celebrations this year. French President Emmanuel Macron was so enamored that he tweeted a video of it, suggesting that the French military might use them in combat one day.
Denis Charlet/AFP/Getty Images
"Proud of our army, modern and innovative," Macron tweeted during the Bastille Day festivities.
Zapata’s Flyboard Air can fly at speeds up to 190 km (118 miles) per hour, according to The Guardian.
Source: INSIDER
The US Army is in the final testing stage for its Enhanced Night Vision Goggles-Binocular (ENVG-B), which will allow soldiers to accurately shoot from the hip and around corners. They also provide improved situational awareness, thermal imaging, and better depth perception.
Photo provided by L3
The new goggles have dramatically improved marksmanship, Lt. Gen. James Richardson, deputy commander of Army Futures Command, recently told Congress.
The goggles can display the weapon’s aim point, and can be linked to see video or virtual feeds from other positions, allowing troops to accurately shoot around corners without exposing their head.
An armored brigade combat team deploying to South Korea will reportedly be the first to use the new goggles.
Source: INSIDER
The FLIR Black Hornet III is a pocket-sized drone will perform intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions in combat. The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division already has the drones, which come in a pair — one for daytime and one enabling night vision. The drones are about six inches long and can fit on a soldier’s utility belt. The Army hopes to equip every soldier with the drones in the future.
FLIR Systems
Source: INSIDER
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
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Source: Business Insider – eioanes@businessinsider.com (Ellen Ioanes)