Navigating All the Way to Destination

05.03.2015 David Greenwald - Eden Sharon -IAF

An advanced GPS system, which allows accurate navigation of airdrop equipment to ground forces, will soon enter IAF service

The system consists of a parachute, GPS device and the airdrop equipment, can navigate supply in the weight of up to one 1 ton to a pre-set destination. The mission is pre-planned by a computer and the system can also be controlled by a remote control which allows piloting and tracking of the cargo.

With the system it will be possible to track the exact location of the cargo while in air, perform location adjustments or even set up a new destination point. The engineers of the IAF Flight Test Center are now conducting final inspections prior to the system's operational activation.

The testers examine the factors that can affect the ability of the cargo to reach the pre-determined destination: preferable altitudes for airdrop, weight limits and the effect of strong winds on performances.

"This system has an utmost operational value. It will allow airdropping equipment and food from much higher altitudes, an ability which will improve the stealth capabilities of the cargo plane and the accuracy of the parachuting", says Lieutenant Y, an engineer from the IAF Flight Test Center, in charge of the tests. "We expect a correlation between the defined waypoint and the results in the field without any particular difficulties".