Sean Connery first used it in Thunderball. Now if the grand plans of the Andhra Pradesh Police materialise, commandos of the anti-terror outfit will take to the skies as Bond did. The state police plan to purchase Jetpacks (flying machines) that can be strapped on to a commando’s back and propel him into the air from where he can swoop down on terrorists like a bolt from the blue. The Maoist menace and the need for better counter-terrorism ops has prompted the government to create a corps of ‘ironmen.’ Tenders have already been floated for the acquisition of these mini-jet engines, a first for any state in India.
Police sources said that after several rounds of consultations, the state government has decided to acquire one Jetpack sample at the earliest. The tender was floated on November 16 and the deadline is December 5. Drawing lessons from the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, when NSG commandos wasted crucial hours in flying to Mumbai and then climbing atop the attacked buildings, the Andhra police wants its commandos on top in double-quick time.
- Sunday Standard