Defence
For Rapidly Paradropping Supplies At Remote Border Outposts, IAF Successfully Tests Indigenous Heavy Drop System
DRDO-developed Heavy Drop System under testing. (Picture via Twitter @IAF_MCC)
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has successfully conducted trials of a DRDO-developed Heavy Drop System.
The successful trials of the Heavy Drop System by the Indian Air Force (IAF) hold immense significance for the country's military capabilities, particularly in remote and challenging terrains.
One crucial application of this system is for supplying Indian Army soldiers stationed at remote outposts in the High Altitude Area (HAA) along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) opposite China.
The heavy drop system is developed by the DRDO-lab Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), located at Agra.
The Heavy Drop System (HDS) is an advanced military technology designed for accurately delivering military supplies, equipment, and vehicles through para-dropping.
According to DRDO, the ADRDE developed highly advanced paradrop techniques that are on par with only a select few advanced nations.
DRDO has already developed a heavy drop system called P7 which is in service with the IAF. It is capable of dropping a maximum payload of seven tonnes from IL-76 transport aircraft.
The system was successfully tested in July 2020, where two systems were air-dropped from IL-76 aircraft from an altitude of 600 metre.
The P7 heavy drop system is a multi-stage parachute system, comprising 5 main canopies, 5 Brake chutes, 2 Auxiliary chutes, 1 Extractor parachute, and the platform is a metallic structure made up of aluminum/steel alloys.
The system has been developed using 100 per cent indigenous resources and textiles.
DRDO has also developed another more capable heavy drop system, P-16, which can be used to paradrop payloads of 16 tonnes, including BMP class vehicles from IL76 transport aircraft.
The P-16 heavy drop system, unlike the P-7 heavy drop system, has 10 Brake chutes, 5 canopies, 2 Auxiliary chutes, 1 Extractor parachute.
This system has successfully demonstrated its capabilities in the HAA of the Ladakh region as well, and is being inducted into the Indian Army.
Another paradrop system developed by DRDO is the Controlled Aerial Delivery System (CADS-500), which is capable of air-dropping payloads of 500 kilograms precisely over a predetermined area.
It uses ram air parachute (RAP) to manoeuvre itself to a designated point using the Global Positioning System (GPS).
It was successfully demonstrated in 2021, commemorating 75 years of independence.
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