Nichols Martin
The U.S. Army seeks to update a certain parachute system to support special operation drops from altitudes exceeding 25K feet, Flight Global reported Wednesday.
The service branch requires RA-1 Advanced Ram Air Parachute System canopies that could launch with 360 pounds of minimum jumper weight from altitudes up to 35K feet above sea level.
The system would allow the Army to deploy parachute operations with high-altitude standoff for a larger glide range and distance from ground-based missiles.
The Army first used the RA-1 system in 2014. The system succeeded the older MC-4 model and brought bolstered payload capacity and gliding performance.
Industry firm Airborne Systems manufactures RA-1 parachutes.
