UK soldiers could get paragliders to drop behind enemy lines

British soldiers could soon be given powered paragliders to enable them to fly up to 200 miles behind enemy lines.

The backpack-sized gliders mean Royal Marine and Parachute Regiment troops could fly into hostile areas during the night without the need to drop from aircraft.

Manufacturer Blakcro, which is based in Wiltshire, say the machines can be assembled in eight minutes and launched on foot.

The Ministry of Defence is spending £6m on the system, with trials set to begin "in the coming months".

Defence Minister Luke Pollard said the government was building a "more resilient, homegrown defence supply chain and ensuring our armed forces receive the pioneering equipment that can give them the edge on the battlefield".

The paragliders, which have a range of up to 200 miles, can carry body armour, night vision equipment and weapon mounts.

The manufacturers say the titanium-framed machines can be used to enter hostile territory covertly as they are more difficult to detect by radar or sound than traditional aircraft.

The gliders will be powered by a fan but pilots will be expected to launch them on foot.