Overview
- The Ministry of Defence disclosed Friday, August 28, 2026 that Wiltshire start‑up Blakcro’s foot‑launched powered paraglider is in operational use and is being supplied through 2026 and into 2027.
- The MOD published technical details saying the system packs into a large‑rucksack‑sized case, can be assembled in under eight minutes including in darkness, and is built around a UK‑made titanium airframe.
- According to the department, the paraglider can travel up to about 200 miles under its own power and is designed to carry body armour, night‑vision gear and weapon mounts while reducing acoustic, visual and radar signatures for covert insertion.
- Planned field trials by the Royal Marines and the Parachute Regiment are expected in the coming months to test how the kit can be used tactically as an individual air‑mobility option.
- Blakcro scaled from prototype to production with roughly £6 million of UK Defence Innovation support and a Defence Innovation Loan, growing staff and winning UK and NATO contracts that aim to bolster a sovereign supply chain and local jobs.