The US military may very soon be using hoverbikes that are strikingly similar to the speeder bikes from ‘Star Wars,’ UK engineering company Malloy Aeronautics developed a prototype for a hoverbike and will partner with the Maryland-based defense research firm US SURVICE to create hoverbikes for the Department of Defense.

The hoverbike was developed to primarily perform the same functions as a helicopter, according to Malloy’s marketing sales director Grant Stapleton.

There are a lot of advantages of the hoverbike over a regular helicopter. Primarily there’s safety. With adducted rotors you immediately not only protect people and property if you were to bump into them, but if you ever were to bump into somebody or property it’s going to bring the aircraft out of the air. So there’s a considerable safety level, which is a considerably high level of safety involved there. The other thing is cost. This is much less expensive to buy a hoverbike and much less expensive to run.

The hoverbike can potentially be a very valuable mode of transportation for the military. It can aid in search-and-rescue, first-responder emergency operations and deliver materials to locations too small for a regular helicopter.

Malloy and SURVICE will be opening an office in Harford County where it will create a full-scale hoverbike, test its abilities, and then design and create hoverbikes more suitable for military operations.

Stapleton stated that Malloy will remain an independent company and is interested in the commercial market. This means that you better start making room in your garage for your hoverbike.

Check out this video of the smaller version of the hoverbike in action.

Source: Reuters