The Joint Precision Airdrop System Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration

The US Army Natick Soldier Center (NSC) is teamed with the Joint Forces Command (JFCOM), US Air Force Air Mobility Command (USAF AMC), the US Army Project Manager Force Sustainment and Support (PM-FSS), and under the oversight of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Advance Systems and Concepts (AS&C) office, along with numerous other government agencies and contractors to plan and execute the Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS) Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD). The JPADS ACTD is integrating a USAF developed laptop-computer-based precision airdrop planning system known as the Joint Precision Airdrop System Mission Planner (JPADS-MP) with the USA Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS) in the “light” category of weight (2201-10000lbs rigged weights). The integrated system objectives include the ability to airdrop JPADS systems of up to 10,000 lbs rigged weight, from altitudes of up to 25,000 ft mean sea level (MSL), with up to 30kms of offset (in a zero wind condition), and land precisely within 100 meters circular error probable (CEP) of a preplanned ground impact point. An additional key metric is to have the final system work with the Enhanced Container Delivery System (ECDS) under a gravity drop (ECDS is not extracted), the type V platform, or a 463L pallet (when the payload can be item suspended) and for the entire decelerator/platform system to cost under $60K (in FY04 $s and in quantities of 100). This paper will provide an overview of the JPADS program goals, status of the effort with some flight test results to date. The paper will also introduce the reader to the JPADS Concept of Operation (CONOPS), highlight the research, technology and integration challenges associated with precision airdrop systems, and how the JPADS team is overcoming these challenges.