UK plans to equip soldiers with foot-launched paragliders
Key Points
- The MOD has backed a British startup building a foot-launched military paraglider system.
- The Blakcro glider system can be deployed in eight minutes and takes off with the pilot running from the ground, with no need for support aircraft or vehicles.
- It fits into a rucksack-sized package and is designed for covert operation in hostile territory or contested airspace.
- Blakcro has signed three prime contracts with the UK and NATO allies, and the Royal Marines and Parachute Regiment are trialling the system in the coming months.
The UK’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) has backed a British startup building foot-launched military paraglider systems.
Designed by Blakcro, the paraglider system can be packed into hardware the size of a rucksack and deployed independently by soldiers in the field.
The paraglider can be unpacked in eight minutes, in darkness, and can be launched from the ground by the pilot, who runs as they operate the system rather than relying on wheels or an engine for launch.
The paragliders are capable of travelling up to 200 miles on their own power and are designed for stealth, allowing soldiers to fly covertly into hostile territory or through contested airspace without needing a runway or supporting aircraft.
The system is built around a titanium airframe and can accommodate body armour, night vision equipment, and weapon mounts.
The MOD said the paraglider is already in use with contracts across the UK and NATO, adding that the Royal Marines and Parachute Regiment are now looking to trial this approach to air mobility in the coming months.
Blakcro’s paraglider system is funded in part through UK Defence Innovation and the company will supply systems this year and into 2027. It began with just three employees and has now grown to 11, and it holds three prime contracts with the UK and NATO allies.
“From a UKDI success story perspective, we have very rapidly moved from base technology in 2024, through UKDI-supported rapid innovation, through to purchase, through to operational use by 2026,” said Blakcro Founder and CEO Sam Wedgwood.
“With UK Defence Innovation supporting SMEs like Blakcro from the drawing board through to deployment, we are building a more resilient, homegrown defence supply chain and ensuring our armed forces receive the pioneering equipment that can give them the edge on the battlefield,” said Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard.
