Onyx Industries Tests Smart Parachutes for Precision Supply Drops
Virginia-based Onyx Industries has demonstrated its RAM-T (Rigged Alternate Method Tandem) air delivery system paired with a GPS-guided JPADS parachute built by Airborne Systems. The system uses an autonomously steered parafoil to deliver payloads precisely to a designated landing point, allowing cargo aircraft to release supplies from higher altitudes and greater distances (up to 25 km) to avoid flying low and slow over hostile territory. The demonstration featured an inflatable payload barrel made of rugged Hypalon-coated fabric to protect cargo such as drones, communications gear, and weapons during landing. The RAM-T platform comes in four configurations, with a maximum exit weight of 1,000 pounds, and includes a wheeled carriage and modular ballast system. JPADS technology, developed jointly by the U.S. Army and Air Force since 1993 and first used in combat in Afghanistan in 2006, has been sold in over 850 units globally. The system aims to reduce risk to aircrews while ensuring accurate delivery of critical equipment to ground forces.
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