Joint Precision Airdrop System

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A JPADS over Afghanistan

The JPADS is a heavy load - shedding system of the US armed forces for precise and autonomous Luftanlandung military loads. The system has been developed since 1997 in order to enable the safe and precise dropping of supplies for military but also humanitarian purposes from great heights on a load paraglider system , which are to be landed in a pre-planned landing zone. Is used JPADS in the US Marines , the US Army and the US Air Force .

construction

A captain of the US Air Force operates the deployment planning software on board a C-130 Hercules

The system consists of a paraglider with a cargo pallet that is automatically guided to a preprogrammed landing zone using GPS . The Airborne Guidance Unit (AGU) consists of a control unit weighing around 25 kg with a GPS receiver, a computer , batteries and two winches driven by an electric motor for the control cables of the paraglider . Before the release, the release point is calculated with the help of a computer program that takes into account the rotating high-altitude wind. After the drop, the AGU calculates the current position and the route to the destination, taking into account the GPS signal. The control ropes of the paraglider are then moved by the winches at speeds of up to 1 m / s in order to steer the paraglider to its destination.

The basis for programming the control unit is deployment planning software that runs on a commercially available notebook and with which the aircraft crew calculates the drop-off point to be approached . In order to explore the current weather and wind situation in the area of ​​operation, a weather probe can be dropped in order to calculate a precise drop. According to statements from the US industry , due to the enormous urgency, the first systems were delivered to the troops when the CEP values reached were 100 m and below. This describes the radius around a point in whose enclosed circular area 50% of all values ​​lie.

The paraglider and control unit system can be reused after the rescue. Only the pallets that absorb the impact of the load are consumables . The paragliders are subject to a specified service life , after which they must be replaced. The electronics , electrics and mechanics of the control box are checked - in some cases with the associated diagnostic systems - and the batteries are charged before they are used again. Including the packing of the umbrellas , the system should take between 45 and 90 minutes to prepare for a new use.

Development stages and implementation status

The JPADS program is designed on four levels. JPADS 2K with 2,200 pounds (lb) or 1,000 kg payload is considered a mature technology. JPADS 10K with up to 10,000 lb or 4,545 kg has not yet reached this level and is in the field of field testing. The JPADS 30K systems with a maximum load capacity of up to 30,000 lb or 13,636 kg are still being tested in industry . The last expansion stage, the JPADS 60K systems with 60,000 lb / 27,272 kg, is still in the research and development stage . Further development goals are a higher range  - 46 km were initially defined as the target - and even more precise landings. The former will manifest itself in more advanced umbrella technologies. Greater accuracy will most likely be achieved through better software and thus more precise control, although some manufacturers advertise the reprogrammability of their systems.

System modifications

In addition, the Air Mobility Command uses parts from the JPADS program to achieve drops with standard parachutes from greater heights for better target accuracy. In order to determine the wind conditions in the drop zone , a wind probe can be dropped before the drop , which supplies the JPADS computer with precise data on the current wind conditions. This then calculates a drop point in order to reach the specified target point for a round canopy heavy-duty parachute at an altitude of 2500 m instead of 250 m for the "original" JPAS .

advantages

The transport aircraft no longer have to drop loads from low altitudes , are therefore better protected from anti-aircraft defenses and can land supplies in different quantities and weights precisely where they are needed. The supply chain and the corresponding reduction in cargo handling at forward supply points is significantly accelerated by air transport with transport machines from the loading airport to the end consumer . JPADS can be used in any weather and around the clock - even with " zero visibility ".

Systems used

The system in all phases from preparation to landing. The round canopy parachute unfolds before landing.

sherpa

Mist Mobility Integrated Systems Technology Inc. was one of the first companies to deliver the “Sherpa” that is functional meters above ground to 8,080 meters above sea level. The system reaches speeds of up to 150  kn and covers distances of over 20 km to the destination. A CEP value of 69 m on average was achieved during missions in Iraq. The system has the ability to fly flight routes to e.g. B. avoiding obstacles, as well as several landing modes and can also be overridden if necessary from the ground in order to transmit new target coordinates during the flight .

Screamer

Screamer is the JPADS of the US parachute specialist Strong Enterprises for the US Air Force . Two systems are offered; the central element is one and the same control box. The Screamer 2K is designed for loads from 320 to 1,000 kg, can be dropped from heights between 2,450 m above ground to 8,000 m above sea level, at speeds between 110 and 150 kn, and lays with sliding rates of 2: 1 or better and sinking speeds from approx. 38 m / s up to 14 km distance to the target point. Screamer 2K weighs 75 kg. It consists of a small stabilizing screen that holds the dropped pallet in the correct position to allow the 20.25 m² Ram Air Drogue (RAD) paraglider to unfold. This works at speeds of up to 150 km / h, with sink rates of up to 26 m / s and the flight time from maximum altitude is up to 390 s. Then a conventional round canopy parachute opens , on which the load for landing is braked to 7 m / s.

Row drops with up to eight 2K systems in one overflight at different target positions were demonstrated. The Screamer 10K works with loads between 2,270 and 4,545 kg. The system is considerably heavier at 363 kg, as the paraglider has an area of ​​79 m² and two round canopies with a diameter of 30 m each are used for landing. Speed ​​(145 km / h) and rate of descent (21 m / s) are slightly lower than with the "2K"; accordingly, the flight time on the paraglider can be up to 435 s. Row drops with up to four 10K systems in one overflight to different target positions were demonstrated.

Microfly , FireFly , DragonFly , MegaFly

The US manufacturer Airborne Systems is a supplier of a JAPADS system family for the US Army .

Microfly is designed for loads from 45 to 315 kg, FireFly for loads from 225 to 1,000 kg, and the DragonFly , which is currently being operationally tested, offers a payload of 2,200 to 4,500 kg. The MegaFly heavy-duty system is still being tested , which is supposed to transport loads of up to 13,600 kg dropped from heights of 8,000 m up to 40 km - which would correspond to a sliding rate of 5: 1. Thus, Airborne Systems en route to the third stage of the laid out on four performance classes JPADS program.

SPADES

The Smart Parafoil Autonomous Delivery System SPADES from Dutch Space / EADS is the European competitor to the US systems that are already in use or at an advanced stage of practical field testing. The SPADES 1000 (" 2K ") system is suitable for loads from 100 to 1,000 kg and should achieve a CEP of 50 meters in use. The AGU from SPADES weighs 22 kg and can be supported by up to two attachable batteries of 4 kg each. A built-in real-time wind sensor is supposed to eliminate the need for accurate measurements before the launch , for the use of SPADES the information from a standard flight planning is sufficient. The SPADES mission planning tool is able to manage up to 15 individual drops during a flight, whereby changes to target and waypoints can be made up to a few minutes before the drop.

Cassidian ParaLander

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