---
title: "UK Military Could Deploy Iron Man-Style Jet Suit in Combat"
description: "At a test flight for U.K. startup Gravity's Jet Suit, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson enthused about using similar suits for combat missions."
date: "2019-04-03"
modified: "2019-04-03"
authors:
  - name: "Jon Christian"
    job_title: "Executive Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/uk-military-iron-man-jet-suit-combat"
categories:
  - "Military"
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "Iron Man"
  - "jet suit"
  - "military"
  - "the digest"
---

# UK Military Could Deploy Iron Man-Style Jet Suit in Combat

![At a test flight for UK startup Gravity's "jet suit," UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson enthused about using similar suits for combat missions.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/uk-military-iron-man-combat-jet-suit.png>)
*\<em\>Image: Gravity Industries via YouTube/Tag Hartman-Simkins\</em\>*

## Iron Man

At a test flight for U.K. startup [Gravity's Jet Suit](<https://futurism.com/an-inventor-just-flew-in-a-real-life-iron-man-suit>), UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson mused about using similar suits for combat missions.

"Can you just imagine doing an assault on to a ship?" he asked the suit's test pilot after the flight, [according to *The Telegraph*](<https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/04/01/rocket-suits-could-worn-royal-navy-sailors-ambush-rival-ships/>). He later added, the paper wrote, that if he could "have a go in future there could be a bigger order."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAJM5L9hhBs

## Gravity Falls

This wasn't the first time Gravity has wowed observers with its Iron Man-esque Jet Suit, which features jets mounted to each of a wearer's arms. The company even let a *CNBC* journalist [take it for a test flight](<https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/22/i-got-to-test-drive-a-440000-flying-gravity-jet-suit.html>) last year.

In spite of the wow factor, though, one of Williamson's aids clarified that Gravity's suit — which costs an imposing $440,000 — isn't ready for combat yet.

**READ MORE:** [Sailors could use jetpacks to ambush rival ships, says Defence Secretary](<https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/04/01/rocket-suits-could-worn-royal-navy-sailors-ambush-rival-ships/>) \[*The Telegraph*\]

**More on flying suits:** *[An Inventor Just Flew in a Real Life Iron Man Suit](<https://futurism.com/an-inventor-just-flew-in-a-real-life-iron-man-suit>)*

## Author
I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/jonchristian.net>)