By A Correspondent

New Delhi: India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted the maiden live jump of the Advanced High-Altitude Parachute (AHAP) at one of the highest-altitude drop zones, Nyoma (Mudh Drop Zone). The jump was executed at 16,000 feet above mean sea level (AMSL).

The parachute deployed at 15,500 feet AMSL, and the landing was at Nyoma (Mudh DZ), which is at 13,700 feet. The jump proved the efficacy and tactical employability of the AHAP parachute at extremely high-altitude terrain, a DRDO statement issued by the Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday (October 6, 2026).

Designed and developed by the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), Agra, AHAP is a static-line parachute system for the mass paratrooper drops. The Ordnance Parachute Factory (OPF), Kanpur, manufactured the system, while DGAQA inspected it, and CEMILAC, RCMA Kanpur, certified it.

AHAP offers various deployment modes, has a very wide operational altitude range (up to 18000 ft), and has the safest rate of descent, especially suited to the tactical requirements of the Indian defence forces for high-altitude terrains. Static-line parachute jumps at these high altitudes are complex and inherently risky, owing to very high opening shock and rate of descent.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented DRDO, the defence forces, defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs), and the industry on the successful maiden live jump of the AHAP indigenous parachute system and termed it as another big step towards ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India). Defence Secretary and Secretary, Department of Defence R&D & Chairman, DRDO, Rajesh Kumar Singh, congratulated the team members associated with the design and development of the system.

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