• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Sherpa

One commercially produced Joint Precision Air Drop System [JPADS] system, the Sherpa, already has been used operationally to resupply Camp Korean Village in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. On 9 August 2003, two Sherpa-guided parafoils were dropped from a Marine KC-130 more than 5 miles high and landed within 200 meters of the targeted drop point. GPS-guided parachutes like the Sherpa eliminate numerous disadvantages of air dropping supplies to farflung troops. The Sherpa uses a rectangular, 900-square-foot parachute, which can be steered, vice a classic round chute. It also incorporates a small drogue parachute to help stabilize the cargo pallet, keeping it facing upward so the main chute opens properly after freefalling. It's basically a standard freefall rig, super-sized. While in flight, the Sherpa constantly checks its position using a GPS receiver, and makes flight adjustments as necessary, pulling on two steering lines to turn the parachute.

Before any mission, the aircraft's altitude and speed, the cargo's weight, the drop zone location and wind speeds for various heights must be programmed into the Sherpa's control unit so it can calculate a flight plan. It can even be programmed to maneuver around obstacles or locations where enemy forces are located.

In response, the Sherpa calculates the precise point in the sky where the cargo must be dropped. As a result, the riggers are taking on more responsibility since they can now plan part of the flight's path. Previously, this task fell upon the plane's navigator. Currently, cargo is dropped via "dumb" parachutes, which have varying accuracy depending on the altitude of the aircraft and wind conditions during the drop. Low-altitude drops, classified as anything under 2,000 feet, are fairly accurate, but put the plane and its crew in range of crippling enemy fire. The GPS-guided chute gives more flexibility dropping the load.

Programmed with the drop zone's coordinates, guided by the Global Positioning System, and maneuvered by motortugged lines, the Sherpa units ushered in the future of cargo delivery by air. One owner of the new Sherpa is the 1st Air Delivery Platoon, part of Combat Service Support Battalion 7, 1st Force Service Support Group, which delivers supplies to Marine units throughout the vast western portion of Iraq's Al Anbar Province.

In Afghanistan, where air delivery is used heavily to re-supply forces in remote locations, loads have landed more than a kilometer from troops on the ground, forcing them to hike and hunt for the goods. Drop zones are sometimes marked with colored-smoke grenades or large canvas markers. That, followed by the low-flying planes, could give away the friendly unit's location. With the Sherpa, pilots don't even need to see the ground, and can make accurate drops day or night from as high as 25,000 feet and as far as nine miles from the drop zone. In fact, numerous Sherpas could be dropped during one pass, saving time and fuel, and each could soar to a different unit at a different location stretched over several miles. While seemingly a godsend to Marines in Iraq, the Sherpa's capabilities are limited. One Sherpa canopy can support no more than 1,200 pounds of cargo. The Marine riggers typical pack bundles weighing 2,200 pounds.

The U.S. military is developing the Joint Precision Air Drop System, a family of computer-guided cargo parachutes expected to one day support 21-ton loads. However, smaller versions of the system that can support between 2,200 and 10,000 pounds aren't due to be fielded until 2008. Tasked by commanders in Iraq to find an interim solution, the Army turned to Mist Mobility Integrated Systems Technology, Inc., a small civilian company based in Ottawa, Canada. Their Sherpa system was identified as an acceptable fix. Each system, which includes a body, canopy, riggings, remote control, rechargeable batteries and software, costs $68,000. A standard military cargo parachute runs approximately $11,000. During Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, Marines only dropped supplies once. It was the first drop in combat since the Vietnam War.