The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted the maiden live jump of the Advanced High-Altitude Parachute (AHAP) at the Nyoma (Mudh Drop Zone) on October 6, marking a significant step in validating the system for high-altitude operations.

The jump was executed from an altitude of 16,000 feet above mean sea level (AMSL), with the parachute deployed at 15,500 feet AMSL. The landing took place at Nyoma (Mudh Drop Zone), located at an altitude of 13,700 feet. The successful trial demonstrated the AHAP system's effectiveness and tactical applicability in extremely high-altitude terrain.

Designed and developed by the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), Agra, the AHAP is a static-line parachute system designed for the mass airdrop of paratroopers.

The system has been manufactured by the Ordnance Parachute Factory (OPF), Kanpur, inspected by the Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DGAQA) and certified by the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC), RCMA Kanpur.

The AHAP offers multiple deployment modes and a wide operational altitude range of up to 18,000 feet. It also features a low rate of descent, making it suitable for the tactical requirements of the Indian Defence Forces in high-altitude terrain. Static-line parachute jumps at such elevations are complex and inherently risky due to high opening shock and descent rates.

Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, the Defence Forces, Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) and industry partners on the successful maiden live jump of the indigenous AHAP system. He described the achievement as another significant step towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Defence Secretary and Secretary, Department of Defence Research and Development, and Chairman of DRDO, Rajesh Kumar Singh, also congratulated the team members involved in the design and development of the system.