Army Prepares to Field Safer, Stronger Parachute

The Mass Tactical Canopy Personnel Parachute System, known as the T-11, is in operational testing at Fort Bragg, N.C., as the replacement for the T-10, which soldiers now use.

The T-11 features a redesigned main and reserve parachute and an integrated harness system, according to officials at Program Executive Office Soldier. The new parachute is designed to carry a load that the T-10 can't handle.

“Soldiers are bigger now, and the equipment they have now is greater," said Lt. Col. John Lemondes, who leads Product Manager Clothing and Individual Equipment for PEO Soldier. "The old equipment couldn't carry the total jumper weight."

The T-11 can carry loads up to 400 pounds, 40 pounds more than the T-10. It also allows a stable, low rate of descent that reduces landing injuries, officials say.

However, the T-11 itself is heavier than the T-10. Made from nylon with Teflon-coated suspension lines, the T-11 is a heavier load at 53 pounds -- 38 pounds for the main parachute and 15 for the reserve -- compared with 44 pounds for the T-10.

Another difference between the old round parachute and the boxy new one is the waiting time to pull the cord. Instead of the four-second count soldiers typically use to estimate when their parachute will open once they leave an aircraft, the T- 11 requires a six-second count for soldiers jumping out of high-performance fixed-wing aircraft and eight seconds when jumping out of helicopters.

Preliminary results show the T-11 is safer and had a lower injury rate during test jumps conducted by the XVIII Airborne Corps and the 82nd Airborne Division, Lemondes said.

As of July 2, with 1,413 jumps completed, the T-11 has a rate of 2.1 injuries per thousand compared with 7.7 per thousand for the T-10.

The Army must have 3,289 successful jumps with the T-11 in order to complete operational testing, he said. Soldiers also are conducting high-altitude testing on the T-11 at Fort Carson, Colo.

Officials from PEO Soldier expect to complete the 3,289 jumps in October. The Army eventually will need 52,000 T-11 systems. Jumpmasters and parachute riggers began retraining in December. They are receiving weeklong courses suited for the T-11.

Spec Ops Version

In addition to the T-11, the Army is working on the Maneuverable Canopy 6, or MC-6, to replace the legacy MC-1 parachute series typically used by special operations soldiers. The MC-6 can be steered and has a lower rate of descent, lower opening shock and better turn and glide ratios than the MC-1 series parachute, according to PEO Soldier. This gives soldiers better maneuverability, greater canopy control, few injuries and less damage to canopies.

Its rate of descent, depending on the weight of the jumper and altitude, is 12.1 to 18.6 feet per second and allows for up to 400 pounds in weight, 40 pounds more than the MC-1. At 26 pounds, the MC-6 is 3 pounds lighter than the MC-1.

The MC-6 has a forward speed of 10 knots and can complete a 360-degree turn in five seconds. The main canopy of the MC-6 also will deploy, inflate and stabilize within 150 to 175 feet of altitude loss after activation.

The Army will need 16,000 MC-6 systems, and officials estimate fielding will be completed in 2012. Also in the works is the Advanced Ram Air Parachute System, a freefall parachute system that can be used for static-line jumps, Lemondes said. Work on ARAPS is expected to be complete in up to three years, he said, and developmental testing is scheduled for spring.