Overview
- The DRDO carried out the live MCPS trial on Wednesday with three ADRDE test jumpers exiting at 22,000 feet, deploying the parachute at 20,000 feet and landing safely at 13,700 feet in temperatures down to −15°C.
- Testers used the MCPS with its native para computer, onboard oxygen system and specialized jumpsuits, and all subsystems performed as designed during the high-altitude trial.
- The MCPS includes a lower descent rate and enhanced steering for accurate navigation to designated landing zones and is compatible with India’s NavIC navigation system to reduce reliance on foreign GNSS signals.
- The validation at Nyoma — one of the world’s highest drop zones near the Line of Control and close to a recently commissioned IAF base — signals improved tactical airborne options for operations on India’s high-altitude frontier.
- DRDO developed the MCPS through ADRDE, Agra, and the Defence Bioengineering and Electromedical Laboratory, building on an earlier 32,000-foot combat freefall test and aiming to cut dependence on foreign parachute systems for high-altitude missions.