CRACK British special forces could soon be using wing suits to launch deadly silent attacks against Islamic State fanatics.
The SAS is reportedly trialling gliding kits, which could replace traditional free-fall parachute jumps behind enemy lines.
The hi-tech outfits mean soldiers can travel further and faster, surprising the enemy when they quietly swoop down from the sky.
SAS troops could be dropped from a plane up to 30 miles away from an enemy location, fly at a much lower rate of descent and open their parachutes just 200 feet from the ground.
Lethal attacks could be underway just nine seconds after touching down on earth, according to a military source.
The insider told the Mirror: "Small teams could launch raids from a long way away but at considerable speed whilst maintaining cover by being dropped so far away the enemy won’t hear the plane."
But the lightweight nature of the suits means soldiers will have to carry fewer weapons to remain airborne.
A C8 lightweight assault weapon will reportedly be strapped to their sides throughout the descent and they will have just eight magazines of 30 rounds each.
It is thought the troops will also carry a Glock pistol while wearing the suits.
Wing suits, initially invented by extreme sports enthusiasts, are a one-piece garment that enables a person to glide through the air when in free fall.
They could be exactly what is needed in the fight against ISIS as the heinous extremists have become well rehearsed in predicting air-assaults launched in loud, cumbersome Chinook or Puma helicopters.
Those aircraft are also easily identified as troop carriers — marking them out as a prize target for the crazed fundamentalists.