22,000 feet, -15°C: DRDO puts high-altitude combat parachute system to the test

22,000 feet, -15°C: DRDO puts high-altitude combat parachute system to the test NEW DELHI: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Wednesday announced that it had successfully tested the indigenously developed Military Combat Parachute System (MCPS) at the Nyoma-Mudh drop zone in Ladakh, one of the world’s highest-altitude drop zones.According to the DRDO, test jumpers from its Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), Agra, executed a jump from 22,000 feet above mean sea level at a temperature of −15°C. Wing Commander Rahul Jha, the chief test jumper, along with Master Warrant Officers RJ Singh and Vivek Tiwari, carried out the jump using the MCPS and its indigenous subsystems, including a para computer, oxygen system and jumpsuits. The parachute was deployed at 20,000 feet, followed by a safe landing at 13,700 feet. “The successful trial demonstrated the efficacy, reliability and tactical employability of MCPS in extreme high-altitude conditions, reinforcing India’s commitment to self-reliance in critical defence technologies,” it said.In October last year, Indian Air Force test jumpers successfully undertook a combat freefall jump from 32,000 feet using the MCPS. End of Article