Marine Special Operations Paragliding Capabilities Emerge At Demonstration In Tampa
Paragliding Marines went on a mock drone hunt at the event, but this is a capability that could be valuable for a host roles.
BY
HOWARD ALTMAN, JOSEPH TREVITHICK
|
PUBLISHED MAY 8, 2024 3:45 PM EDT
An annual special operations capability demonstration has included paragliding Marines on a mock drone hunt.
The ability of Marine special operators to ride into combat on paragliders has been put front and center at an annual show-and-tell event in Tampa. This is part of their toolkit that does not look to have been previously shown publicly. In this particular instance, the scenario also involved the airborne special operations forces hunting down a swarm of enemy drones.
Paragliders are a tool that special operations forces could use in various contexts, especially to infiltrate into denied or otherwise sensitive areas. Hamas terrorists notably used paragliders in their unprecedented surprise attacks on southern Israel last October and North Korean commandos have trained to employ them to infiltrate across the DMZ and attack critical sites.
The paragliding Marine special operators, who were seen using both backpack and tricycle buggy designs, appeared in the skies over Tampa yesterday and again today as part of the capabilities demonstration, or CAPEX, held during the annual SOF Week conference. This looks to be the first time paragliders of any kind have taken part in this event, which has become a yearly tradition in the city.
https://www.twz.com/air/marine-special-operations-paragliding-capabilities-emerge-at-tampa-showcase
