British commandos to use buggy to fight Taliban
By IANSTuesday, September 28, 2010
LONDON - Britain’s elite Special Air Service commandos, who are considered one of the word’s toughest, will soon be undertaking operations in Afghanistan in which they would parachute down behind Taliban lines on a buggy.
Two commandos will drive the buggy, called Rhino Air, straight out of a transport plane while it is mid-air. They would then steer it onto the ground with the help of a parachute.
The buggy has to be launched from at least 8,000 feet and can float 25 miles before coming to earth at about 10mph.
“One of the issues at the moment is that elite troops have to operate on foot after landing behind enemy lines. The Rhino would change that,” The Sun Tuesday quoted a source as saying.
The crack commandos have been carrying out tests in which “dummy runs” were carried out in Britain to see if the concept could be put into practice in Afghanistan.
The source said: “The hope is it could make a massive difference on the ground. It would give our elite troops a huge element of surprise.”
Designed on the frame of a quad bike, the buggy can carry up to half a tonne of kit, including ammunition and medical supplies.
The commandos commandeering it have to wear their own parachutes, in case there was an emergency.
