Airborne Systems, a global leader in the design and manufacture of parachutes for military and space use, conducted a series of demonstrations of its systems to the Argentine Army. The activities, held in the province of Córdoba, involved elements of the IV Airborne Brigade and the Special Operations Forces Group (AFOE).
Over several days, with the presence of Freddy Nieto and Gio Piatti, both holding significant roles at Airborne Systems North America, the capabilities of the E-MMPS systems, Tandem Gemini, and Intruder 230 for Instructors were showcased and presented. This material was also evaluated by members of the AFOE, the “Captain Héctor Cáceres” School of Airborne and Special Operations Troops (ETA and OE), and the Paratrooper Aerial Support Company 4.
The activities began with a general presentation of Airborne Systems North America’s systems to the personnel participating in the jumps. Once the initial briefing was completed, operations moved to the Military Aviation School, where they worked with an Army Aviation Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX. As usual, the drop zone was located at the “La Mezquita” airfield.
The first jumps marked the beginning of the evaluation phase of the E-MMPS systems, Tandem Gemini, and Intruder 230 for Instructors by Argentine Army personnel, who conducted a comprehensive debriefing with representatives from Airborne Systems North America upon arrival at “La Mezquita.” The occasion also served for the experienced members of the mentioned company to share various details about the conditioning and packing of the parachutes. These on-site trainings were closely followed by the Argentine personnel with the goal of incorporating and optimizing their techniques.
The first day of activities continued in the afternoon with a presentation on some of Airborne Systems’ main products, such as the E-MMPS and Marauder systems (both with multi-mission configuration capabilities) and the operational tandem system Gemini. The presentations delved into technical aspects of the equipment, allowing paratroopers from the Argentine Army and other forces to ask specific questions about the systems’ particular features and capabilities.
As the highlight of the day, Airborne Systems conducted familiarization training for packing and maintaining the Intruder 300 systems. Personnel from the FOE and the Paratrooper Aerial Support Company 4 participated in this activity.
On the second day, the same guidelines were followed as on the previous day, with the exception that the jumps were executed from a Bell UH-1H helicopter from the Rapid Deployment Army Aviation Section. In the afternoon, Airborne Systems representatives gave a presentation on the SOLR (Special Operations Long Range) oxygen systems range, covering masks, cylinders, pre-breathers, oxygen loading pumps, OXCON console, and portable equipment testing station. A presentation was also given on the new AS-2000 cargo parachute system (replacing the old G-12 systems), which provides greater capacity for cargo drops while adding a significant quality leap in innovation and technology, with a significant reduction in the weight and volume of the packed equipment.
The Airborne Systems North America capabilities demonstration in Argentina concluded at the end of May with a visit to the “ALACRAN” Special Forces Group of the Argentine National Gendarmerie. A presentation was given on the E-MMPS, Intruder 230 for Instructor, and Marauder systems, along with feedback from special forces operators regarding the maintenance and configuration of the equipment used by the Security Force (RA-1 Intruder 300 and 360, MC-5, and MC-6 automatic opening parachutes, all from Airborne Systems).
Airborne Systems North America Parachute Systems
Below is a brief overview of the characteristics and capabilities of the systems presented in Argentina by Airborne Systems:
E-MMPS (Edge Multi-Mission Parachute System): This multi-mission parachute is the latest and most innovative high-performance system offered by Airborne Systems for HAHO/HALO operations (High Altitude-High Opening/High Altitude-Low Opening), selected by the U.S. Marine Corps Special Operations Units. On this occasion, it was used with a 370 square foot canopy and an identical size reserve.
The E-MMPS features a harness container capable of configuring the deployment system for both bottom-of-container (BOC) pilot chute deployment and drogue-fall freefall deployment. The harness also incorporates eight attachment points, including high attachment points with external handles, providing the user with maximum customization for anchoring different equipment.
This system uses the Hi-5 canopy as both the main and reserve parachute (main-on-main configuration), ensuring the same performance for mission success under any circumstances. Additionally, it incorporates the Glide Modulation System, which enhances the excellent performance and handling of the Hi-5 by allowing a transition from a 5:1 glide ratio to a 1:1 glide ratio, offering greater safety and precision for confined area landings.
Gemini Tandem System: This is the first tandem system developed by the American company. Designed for military tandem operations, this system combines high load capacity with exceptional flight performance and the unique advantage of glide modulation. It has a two-stage collapsible drogue located between the main and reserve parachute containers, ensuring a very stable and comfortable freefall, and smooth openings even at maximum operational weight and altitude. Additionally, it includes a safety system for release in case of premature main parachute deployment.
For this demonstration, the main parachute system used a 430 square foot canopy with the Intruder-360R (TSO) reserve, with a total load capacity of approximately 250 kilograms. With a 4.5:1 glide ratio, this military tandem is fully compatible with the RA-1 series parachute systems (Intruder 300 and 350) and E-MMPS, allowing a tandem pair to be included in an HAHO or HALO team with the same level of performance.
The harness container has similar features to the E-MMPS, with 10 external attachment points for equipment (2 exclusively for HAHO operations seat attachment), connectors for oxygen equipment, as well as an ambidextrous drogue release mechanism with two handles that operate independently, providing greater safety to the system.
Intruder 230 for instructors: A parachute designed exclusively for instructors, based on the well-known and legendary RA-1 system. This system has a 230 square foot main canopy and a 210 square foot reserve, providing instructors with a smaller and more flexible container, giving them greater maneuverability and movement while maintaining the glide performance of the RA-1 family. These features ensure the ability to track students both in freefall and during canopy flight. This model is fully compatible with the SOLR oxygen system, making it ideal for use by Jumpmasters, Instructors, or Oxygen Technicians during flight.
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