Indian soldiers will soon fly as Army issues tenders for jetpacks

The Army has sought for four legged robotic mules. Currently at the forward posts the Army is using mules to transport ration

New Delhi, Jan 25: The Indian Army has issued preliminary tenders to acquire 48 jetpack suits to fly at speeds of over 50 kilometres per hour.

Through the fast track procedures for emergency procurements, the Indian Army which is a 12 lakh strong force has also sought for 100 robotic mules and 130 new generation tethered drone systems.

The Army said that the jetpack suits with a modern propulsion system should provide controls for a safe ascent and descent, take off and landing in all directions. The four legged robotic mules are supposed to work at heights of up to 10,000 feet and they should be capable of autonomous movement across various terrain, apart from having self-recovery and obstruction avoidance features. The Army at present is using mules at forward posts to transport goods and rations.

The tethered systems should consist of drones which are connected to a ground based station and can provide surveillance of beyond the line of sight targets for prolonged periods.

The Army is likely to use the jetpacks during special operations. The weight of the jetpack should not exceed 40 kg and should be able to carry an 80 kg person. Its maximum speed should not be less than 50 mph the Army has said.

In the case of the drones, the Army said that it shall be with an all-up weight of 15 kg. The drone will be tethered at some 60 metres from the surface and operate for six hours and should be able to detect vehicles 5 kilometres away and a person 2 km away.

A Request for Proposal is issued for commercial and technical bids.

In a nut-shell:

• The weight of the jetpack should not exceed 40 kg. It should be able to carry an 80 kg person and the speed should not be less than 50 mph
• The robotic mule should be 1 metre in length. It should not weigh more than 60 kg and should be able to operate at an altitude of over 10,000 feet and carry 10 kg of weight
• The Army says that the tethered drone will be tethered at some 60 metres from the surface and should be able to operate for six hours