France shows off fully functioning "Flyboard" during military parade.

[DetlefK]

Link to tweet

https://gizmodo.com/french-inventor-touts-rifle-while-flying-turbine-powere-1836363914

A french inventor showed off his hoverboard during a military parade in France. He was carrying some sort of rifle during flight. (Mock? Unloaded?)

The hoverboard still is very loud and costs $250,000 a piece. And it has a shorter range than e.g. a helicopter. But if they keep working on this, I think it would be great for urban warfare, rapidly swooping up and down between street-level and roof-level.

[Recursion]

1. OK, I'll admit it was pretty frigging cool

Right now it's just being contemplated as an observation and crowd-control platform, and the board can only go for 10 minutes at a time. Presumably that will be improved.

[rampartc]

2. yes, i want one

but for military use it violates every instinct of an infantryman.

"keep your head down!"

[Tanuki]

3. Their teleprompter probably worked, too!