Lok Sabha Question No. 2126 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-29
Subject: Parachutes Designed by DRDO
Ministry: DEFENCE
Asked by: ASADUDDIN OWAISI

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## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

## DEFENCE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2126

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 29 TH  JULY, 2016

## PARACHUTES DESIGNED BY DRDO

2126.  SHRI  ASADUDDIN OWAISI:

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Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  parachutes  designed  by  the  Defence  Research  and  Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory for special forces have not only failed field trials but have been classified as serious life threatening;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the  total  fund  so  far  incurred  by  the  DRDO  in  different  laboratories  for parachutes designing; and
- (d) the  remedial measures  taken or being  taken by  the  Government to  stop  such wasteful expenditure?

## A    N    S    W    E    R

MINISTER OF DEFENCE                                      (SHRI MANOHAR PARRIKAR)

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- (a) & (b): Aerial  Delivery  Research  and  Development  Establishment (ADRDE),  Agra  is  a  premier  R&D  Laboratory  of  Defence  Research  & Development Organisation (DRDO) engaged in design and development of  various  types  of  parachutes  for  Armed  Forces.    Over  the  years, ADRDE  has  designed and developed the following categories of parachutes:-
- (i) Paratrooper parachutes.
- (ii) Seat ejection parachutes for fighter aircraft.
- (iii)  Brake parachutes for fighter aircraft.
- (iv)  Recovery parachutes for heavy drop systems.
- (v)  Ammunition & weapon parachutes.

:  2  :

All  the  above  parachutes  have  been  in  use  by  Armed  Forces. However,  in  the  category  of  Paratrooper  Parachutes,  the  Combat  Free Fall (CFF) Parachute designed and developed by ADRDE has undergone the following trials:

- A  batch  of  30  Prototype  parachutes  has  undergone  170  live jumps (Technical Trials) and 242 live jumps (User Trials) by user successfully. · Subsequently,  Army  placed  an  indent  on  OPF,  Kanpur  for  700 nos. of indigenous CFF Parachutes. · The scope of the indent on OPF was to make initial 42 nos. pilot batch for live jump (Field Trials) by the Army. · The Field Trials  with  initial  lot  of  parachutes  produced  by  OPF, Kanpur have undergone live jumps by Army safely  without any casualty.    However,  out  of  42  parachutes,  14  parachutes  jump were in order, and 28 parachutes  were found with  some tear in the  cloth  (still  the  jumps  were  safe  since  reserve  parachutes worked  well  as  redundancy,  whenever  required).    It  was  found that  cloth  material  supplied  by  one  particular  vendor  failed, whereas,  14  parachute  clothes  supplied  by  other  vendor  were successful.    Hence  conditional  bulk  production  clearance  was given by  Army and suggested to go  for  the  cloth  material  from the  same  vendor  which  was  successful.    Subsequent  lots  have also  been  produced  and  there  was  no  cloth  material  fault reported. (c) ADRDE is the only laboratory in DRDO for design and development of parachutes.  Total expenditure incurred on development of Combat Free Fall (CFF) parachute was Rs.228.25 lakh by ADRDE. (d) The  shortcomings  on  Combat  Free  Fall  (CFF)  Parachutes  trials observed and reported by the User have been analysed by ADRDE and due rectification have been suggested to Production Agency.
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