LADAKH, Aug 26: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully tested its Military Combat Parachute System (MCPS) at one of the world's highest-altitude drop zones in Ladakh, marking a significant achievement in high-altitude airborne operations.
The trials were conducted at Nyoma in south-eastern Ladakh, near the Line of Control. The site is also home to the Indian Air Force's recently commissioned airbase, one of the world's highest airbases for fighter aircraft operations.
The MCPS has been designed and developed by DRDO's Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), Agra, in collaboration with the Defence Bioengineering and Electromedical Laboratory (DEBEL), Bengaluru.
According to the DRDO, its test jumpers — Wg Cdr Rahul Jha, Chief Test Jumper, MWO RJ Singh and MWO Vivek Tiwari — carried out a jump from an altitude of 22,000 feet above mean sea level.
The parachute was deployed at 20,000 feet, while the jumpers landed safely at an altitude of 13,700 feet. The trial was conducted in temperatures dropping to as low as minus 15 degrees Celsius.
The test team used the indigenous MCPS along with its associated subsystems, including a para computer, oxygen system and specialised jumpsuits.
The successful trial demonstrates the system's capability to support military personnel during airborne operations in challenging high-altitude and low-temperature conditions.
