Futuristic plans would see Royal Marines wear ‘invisibility’ suits

Futuristic plans for the Royal Marines which would see commandos being carried into battle on silent “flying wings” while wearing “invisible” suits have been unveiled by the Royal Navy.

Young engineers from the UK Naval Engineering Science and Technology Forum were asked to create ideas to kit out a mid-21st Century assault by the marines on an enemy missile site perched on a clifftop.

The graduates, representing a number of leading defence, technology and engineering firms, were briefed to use existing and future tech for the imagined scenario.

The designers spent a day at the Commando Training Centre at Lympstone, near Exeter in Devon, to understand what it takes to become a Royal Marine before embarking on the project.

The ideas included exo-skeleton suits covered by a chameleon-like skin allowing wearers to perform super-human feats such as scaling cliffs effortlessly while invisibly blending in with the environment.

Other suggestions included ekranoplan “flying wings” replacing landing craft which can skim across waves at hundreds of miles an hour, as well as holograms of marines to be used as a decoy for the enemy. The marines would also be kitted out with helmets with head-up displays providing the latest battlefield intelligence and health and fitness levels.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “As global threats continue to evolve and become more complex, it is vital that we encourage our armed forces and industry to work together to ensure our fighting forces strengthen their operational edge.”

Some of the equipment devised by engineer graduates.