Russian army boosts the use of parachute systems for airborne troops and vehicles


Russia has developed a new parachute system with oxygen dispensing equipment for jumps from high altitudes to be used by the Russian Airborne Troops, General Andrei Serdyukov, the Russian Airborne Troops commander, said in an interview with the Russian Defense Ministry daily Krasnaya Zvezda.


Russian army boosts the use of parachute systems for airborne troops and vehicles
BTR-MDM displayed with its parachute system at Army-2018 near Kubinka (Picture source: Army Recognition)


"New special purpose parachute systems of the Krylo (Wing) type have been developed as part of an R&D effort. The new parachute systems have a set of oxygen dispensing equipment for landing from high altitudes," Serdyukov said.

According to the general, Russian experts have been developing another parachute system since 2018 designed to airdrop soldiers with full equipment and in full outfit. The already existing D-10 parachute system and a drag parachute for landing in the Ratnik combat outfit are being upgraded. "New technical solutions will be used in these parachute systems such as zero porosity fabric, positive buoyancy of freight containers, etc," Serdyukov clarified.

He told Krasnaya Zvezda that a uniform multirole platform for airdropping hardware and cargoes weighing over 15 tons was being developed for the Russian Airborne Troops. "In view of the fact that the Russian Airborne Troops are being equipped with new pieces of military hardware, a uniform multirole parachute platform is being created on the basis of the Kamaz truck. It is designed for airdropping equipment and cargoes weighing over 15 tons," the general stressed.

He added that the Russian Airborne Troops would start receiving the Bakhcha-U-PDS parachute system, which has no platform, in 2019. It is designed to airdrop modern fighting vehicles BMD-4M and BTR-MDM with the crews inside.


Russian army boosts the use of parachute systems for airborne troops and vehicles 2
BMD-4M dropped with the Bakhcha-U-PDS parachute system (Picture source: Russian MoD)