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Visordown.com reports that the US Military is working with British engineering company Malloy Aeronautics to develop a flying hoverbike to transport soldiers quickly across a battlefield.
A hoverbike powered by a BMW R1200R engine could one day be soaring over the battlefields of the future.
Working alongside a US military research and development firm, the hoverbike could form a new class of tactical reconnaisance vehicle that has more than a touch of the speeder bikes from Return of the Jedi about it.
But this isn't technology from 'a galaxy far, far away' - the Hoverbike can already be seen flying (albeit tethered to ropes).
Malloy Aeronautics said: 'We combined the simplicity of a motorbike and the freedom of a helicopter to create the world's first flying motorcycle. When compared with a helicopter, the Hoverbike is cheaper, more rugged and easier to use – and represents a whole new way to fly.
Related links:
http://www.businessinsider.com/hoverbike-is-like-a-flying-motorcycle-2014-8?op=1
http://www.engadget.com/2015/06/22/us-military-hoverbike/
Original Submission
(Score: 3, Interesting) by pkrasimirov on Wednesday July 15 2015, @06:25AM
Nowadays cheap little drones do far better work for reconnaisance than a soldier on a big noisy machine. This would be more like an exotic transport vehicle. I think it would be good for field medevac: cross all terrain, not shaking from ground bumps, quick response time (compared to a chopper). Of course its operational range has to be sufficient enough.
(Score: 2) by GoonDu on Wednesday July 15 2015, @06:59AM
Not all cheap little drones can be deployed from the comfort of the air base. One may need to send troops behind enemy lines to deploy said drones so these bikes were invented for this type of scenario, although I have my doubts of them being sneaky because of how loud they are. As for medivac, I would think this is good for casevac as well. Make it so they could assemble it fast and deploy it as form of glorified stretcher, then again we have Big Dog for that.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by tibman on Wednesday July 15 2015, @02:36PM
Very shallow recon. Scouting should always involve someone on the ground with actual eyes and ears. Commanders who make their plans based on maps and aerial photos are playing board games when they should be waging war. One of the key things that scouts are used for is aggregating data for you. A commander doesn't say "We will move a tank company into the town from the south." He asks the scout "Can we move a tank company into the town from the south?" The scout says "No, that bridge won't support more than 10 tons. But there is a good fording point in defilade 400 meters east of the bridge. Coords as follows."
I am biased because i was a Scout. Too many commanders play their little wargames like it has set rules and is very orderly. A commander should be asking more questions than giving orders. Those are the commanders who will fuck you up with only half as many assets. Don't get me wrong though, i am for map recon and aerial intel. Just have to back that intel up with reality by having a scout on the ground.
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