Dubai isn’t afraid of spending money, I’m sure we all know that about the tiny Emirate by now, it’s police force has a plethora of expensive super cars which you don’t normally see deputed to police work so as far as Dubai goes the sky’s the limit. That’s quite literally is where the limit will soon be set for Dubai’s firefighters as some of them will soon be receiving jetpacks.
Dubai has signed a contract with Martin Aircraft Company and it will purchase 20 jetpacks with two training simulators for the Dubai Civic Defense service. Lt Col Ali Hassan Almutawa of the DSD said that these jetpacks will primarily be used in first responder roles, adding that they will prove to be useful in situations at any of the countless skyscrapers that adorn the Dubai skyline.
Almutawa also said that these jetpacks will be modified with thermal imaging cameras which will provide much needed assistance to firefighters. DSD is going to experiment with firefighters who are going tow a “mule train” of uncrewed jetpacks behind them during rescue missions. Other roles have not yet been ruled out for these jetpacks but primarily they will be used for rescue and firefighting.
Jetpacks from the Martin Aircraft Company have twin ducted fans and a V4 engine providing power, enabling them to fly at 3,000 feet with speeds reaching over 70 kmph and a total flight time of half an hour. As per the company’s recent estimate the cost of one unit is around $150,000, or as Dubai calls it, chump change.
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