Air Warrior Col. John W. Thompson - KMI Media Group

The key to the T-11’s lower RoD lies in the surface
area of its canopy, which is 28 percent larger than that of
the T-10. However, it weighs only seven pounds more than
the T-10.
low e r o p e n i n g s H o C k
The T-11’s opening shock is significantly lower than that of
the T-10. Rather than the canopy opening immediately after it
comes out of the deployment bag like the T-10, the T-11 canopy
is covered by a canopy sleeve.
The static line pulls the deployment bag out of the pack
tray, elongates the suspension lines and exposes the pilot
parachute. The pilot parachute pulls the canopy sleeve off the
canopy, and the canopy inflates. The inflation of the canopy
is further controlled by a slider controlling the amount of air
entering the bottom of the canopy.
The combined use of the canopy sleeve and slider controls
inflation of the canopy, thus decreasing the opening shock.
As a result, the parachutist counts to six seconds, as opposed
to four seconds with the T-10, before performing the canopy
check to ensure the canopy is fully inflated.
new re s e r v e pa r a C H u t e
In addition to a new main canopy, the Modified Improved
Reserve Parachute System (MIRPS) is being replaced by the
T-11R Reserve Parachute.
The T-11R is an aero-conical design based on the current
British Low Level Parachute (LLP) reserve canopy. The T-11R
was tested extensively under various types of main canopy
malfunctions and proved to be more reliable and more effective
than the MIRPS. It has a lower opening shock than the
MIRPS and can be deployed using either hand, requiring 15-22
pounds of pull force. The RoD is approximately 26 feet per
second, a significant improvement over the MIRPS, with less
oscillation. More importantly, the T-11R supports a TJW of
greater than 400 pounds, whereas the MIRPS is limited to
a maximum of 360 pounds for jump altitudes of 3,000 feet
mean sea level (MSL) and below. Every additional increase of
1,000 feet in jump altitude requires a reduction of 12.5 pounds
in TJW.
inj u r y re s u l t s
Since March 16, 2010, Program Executive Office Soldier’s
program manager-Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment
(PM-SCIE), working with a team lead by Dr. Joseph
Knapik, U.S. Army Public Health Command, has conducted
an extensive study of parachute injuries at Fort Bragg, N.C.
Additionally, PM SCIE is tracking all injuries sustained during
the Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning. As of August
6, students made 7,405 jumps with the T-11 and suffered only
eight injuries. The same students made 27,366 jumps with the
T-10 and suffered 78 injuries.
This equated to an injury rate of 1.080 injuries per thousand
jumps for the T-11, and 2.850 injuries per thousand
jumps with the T-10. A parachutist is 2.6 times more likely to
be injured jumping with the T-10 than the T-11.
26 | SOTECH 8.9
fielDing
PM-SCIE is currently fielding the T-11 parachute and conducting
new equipment training (NET) for jumpmasters and
riggers. The Ranger Special Troops Battalion was the first unit
equipped with the T-11 in March 2009. Since then, PM-SCIE
has fielded 8,491 T-11 parachutes to units including all Ranger
Battalions, 4th Battalion of the 160th Special Operations Aviation
Regiment, 1st Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment,
the Quartermaster School and the 11th Quartermaster
Company supporting the 82d Airborne Division. The 82d Airborne
Division was scheduled to have one full Brigade Combat
Team of T-11s by October.
man e u v e r a B l e Ca n o p y pa r a C H u t e (mC-6)
The U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC)
requested a replacement for the MC1-1 parachute due to high
opening shock experienced on high elevation drop zones,
resulting in jumper injury and unacceptable canopy damage.
The U. S. Forest Service was already jumping a parachute, the
FS-14, designed for heavy-laden smoke jumpers going into very
small drop zones at high altitudes. The Army adopted the FS-14
large canopy as the SF-10A. This nonstandard canopy was
matched with the T-10 harness and standard reserve parachute
for use by USASOC as an interim replacement for the MC1-1
series parachute.
Later, the requirements for the Advanced Tactical Parachute
System (ATPS) were developed and PM-SCIE decided the
ATPS should include both a mass tactical, non-maneuverable
parachute, the T-11, and a maneuverable variant to replace the
MC1-1 series parachute. The maneuverable variant became the
MC-6. Both the MC-6 and T-11 have exactly the same harness
and reserve parachute.
The T-11R reserve parachute is the most robust reserve
parachute the Army has ever developed. Its canopy is a multiconical
design with a hem diameter of 20 feet. It has air scoops
and skirt assist lines to ensure the canopy opens as quickly as
possible. Upon activation of the reserve parachute, the ejector
spring throws the extractor chute away from the jumper’s body,
pulling the first third of the canopy and the air scoops into the
airstream. The canopy rapidly inflates and if this is a high-speed
deployment, the skirt assist lines break away from the canopy.
If it is a low-speed deployment resulting from a partial malfunction,
the skirt assist line remains attached and the canopy
inflates quickly due the reduction in the hem diameter.
The T-11 reserve is critically needed. The Soft Loop Center
Pull Parachute, which it replaces, has a severe weight restriction—it
cannot be jumped with more than 360 pounds jumper
and equipment weight. This restriction severely hampers combat
operations with full loads of ammunition and carrying of
crew served weapons. The T-11R supports well over 400 pounds.
If activated during a total malfunction, the T-11 Reserve will
deploy in 0.7 seconds.
t-11 Ha r n e s s
At first glance, the T-11 harness looks much like the T-10 D
harness, but on closer inspection it is much different. Both have
www.SOTECH-kmi.com