US military to get hoverbikes after tie-up with UK company

[Redheart]

US military to get hoverbikes after tie-up with UK company - News - Gadgets and Tech - The Independent

The US has joined together with a UK company to help it build a hoverbike, like those seen in Star Wars.

The US Department of Defense, Maryland-based Survice Engineering and British Malloy Aeronautics will be working together to make a new hoverbike class of “class of Tactical Reconnaissance Vehicle (TRV), according to Malloy.

Malloy has already developed a version of the hoverbikes — which looks a little two drones with a platform between them — selling them through Kickstarter. The company raised over £64,000 last summer from 451 backers.

But the company will now work with the US to develop them for military use. Survice is a US engineering firm that focuses on research and development for military technologies and which will now work together with Malloy on the hoverbikes.

Malloy describes itself as “an entrepreneurial aerospace company that develops, markets, and sells drones and Hoverbike technology to commercial and military markets”.

 

[Diane Lane]

Well they certainly look interesting. I wish the article detailed more about what the hoverbikes are planned for, and what they can do. I'm not a Star Wars fan, so am unfamiliar with this type of vehicle, but hopefully, if the US military is planning to build this, it knows what it's doing, and the products will prove useful, and increase the military's current capabilities.

 

[Redheart]

- The hoverbikes will be extensively used in "search and rescue" missions.

- They can be used for "cargo" delivery to dangerous places where helicopters couldn't get because being smaller it will be harder to shoot them down.

- Since they can be flown like drones, they can be also be used for reconnaissance.

 

[Diane Lane]

- The hoverbikes will be extensively used in "search and rescue" missions.

- They can be used for "cargo" delivery to dangerous places where helicopters couldn't get because being smaller it will be harder to shoot them down.

- Since they can be flown like drones, they can be also be used for reconnaissance.

Those are great uses, I would definitely support this development for those purposes. I wonder how the cost of these (once technology is further developed) will compare to that of helicopter missions and equipment costs. I guess their scope would be limited simply because they couldn't hold as much as a helicopter, but using these still seems like a positive move on the part of the military.

 

[LilAnn]

US military to get hoverbikes after tie-up with UK company - News - Gadgets and Tech - The Independent

The US has joined together with a UK company to help it build a hoverbike, like those seen in Star Wars.

The US Department of Defense, Maryland-based Survice Engineering and British Malloy Aeronautics will be working together to make a new hoverbike class of “class of Tactical Reconnaissance Vehicle (TRV), according to Malloy.

Malloy has already developed a version of the hoverbikes — which looks a little two drones with a platform between them — selling them through Kickstarter. The company raised over £64,000 last summer from 451 backers.

But the company will now work with the US to develop them for military use. Survice is a US engineering firm that focuses on research and development for military technologies and which will now work together with Malloy on the hoverbikes.

Malloy describes itself as “an entrepreneurial aerospace company that develops, markets, and sells drones and Hoverbike technology to commercial and military markets”.

I can't imagine what the military needs them for. I can't think of a single situation in a war time setting that a hoverbike would be an advantage.

 

[mmchayle]

That is pretty great to be fair to send them on search and rescue missions and transporting cargo. When I first read this thread before looking at the news article link I was kind of questioning how they would use it in combat seeing as they would have to deal with rpgs, grenades, bullets and every other threat possible.

 

[Redheart]

I wonder how the cost of these (once technology is further developed) will compare to that of helicopter missions and equipment costs. I guess their scope would be limited simply because they couldn't hold as much as a helicopter, but using these still seems like a positive move on the part of the military.

I suppose they'd more costlier than helicopters to use but will primarily be used [maybe] to deliver light military equipment or ammo to troops who probably are surrounded by enemies.

But talking of expenses, I read somewhere that the hoverbikes were originally designed so farmers could use them to get around on their farms. So maybe they won't be too expensive to "operate."

 

[Diane Lane]

@Redheart That's interesting, I have a friend who grew up on a farm, and I'm sure he'd love to play around with one of these. They primarily used 4-wheelers, trucks and the farm equipment to get around on, but I guess hoverbikes could save time and avoid some of the obstacles that would hamper travel in the other vehicles.

I'm sure we'll be hearing more about these, once the technology has advanced and more testing has been done.