Watch Royal Marines Fly Like Iron Man In New Jet Suit Demonstration

The UK's Royal Marines recently demonstrated the use of a jet suit that enabled them to fly one-by-one from an inflatable boat over the ocean to a massive navy ship. The exercise was a demonstration of Gravity Industries' jet suit, which bestows the wearer with a flying ability remarkably similar to that of Iron Man.

The demonstration video was published by Gravity Industries, which explained that the Royal Marines conducted a successful exercise involving its Gravity Jet Suit to board a ship in the middle of the ocean. This isn't the first jetpack demonstration we've seen, but it is one of the more dramatic examples of how the technology can be used.

The jet suit is used to demonstrate flying from an inflatable boat to the ship, then from the ship back to the inflatable boat. The exercise demonstrates one of the uses for this technology — the jet suit pilot reaches the ship before the inflatable, giving him time to toss a ladder over the side for the rest to climb aboard.

Of course, the video does raise some questions, including how well the jet suit would be able to handle particularly strong gusts of wind. As well, it's unclear in which situations the Royal Marines and other military branches may benefit from using this technology compared to existing, more mundane options.

The military isn't the only potential customer for jet suit products, however. Firefighters in some major cities, for example, have tested and purchased jetpacks for use in fighting fires that may break out in skyscrapers and other difficult-to-reach places. Ultimately, however, the technology remains a niche product at this time.