This is where the Freedrop Delivery System comes into play. The Freedrop Delivery System, or FDS, is a part of the Logistics Innovation Agency's Freedrop Packaging Concept Project. This project aims to develop innovative packaging concepts where supplies can be dropped from low altitudes and without parachutes. The strong structural attributes of the FDS containers allow the supplies carried within to be delivered with no damage and in a condition that allows for quick and easy recovery of the container's contents. In a recent test of the FDS, all 16 loads that were dropped from a C-23 Sherpa landed within 35 meters of the drop zone's designated impact point.
The key component of the FDS project is to develop a low-cost cargo system that can hold up to 150 pounds and be versatile enough to hold a variety of supplies. Currently the Freedrop Delivery System has been successfully tested with cargo such as 5.56 mm, 7.62 mm, and .50 caliber ammunition. It has also been successfully tested with MREs, bottled water, and other rations- all of which were delivered with little or no damage.
A system like the FDS would allow for the fast, accurate, and effective delivery of a variety of supplies to troops in terrain where an parachute airdrop would be ineffective. The nature of the FDS also allows for supplies to be recovered quickly and with little effort thereby increasing the efficiency of nearly every step of the logistics process.
A few negatives that I could see from this system are the terrain factors and the restriction of supplies being dropped. As far as the terrain factors go I feel like this would be difficult to use in areas with rocky terrain or areas with high vegetation and canopies. Due to the high speeds of impact with the ground it will probably limit what type of supplies can be dropped.
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ReplyDeleteOne thing that would be interesting to know is the altitude at which these supplies must be dropped in order to prevent damage to the containers. Flying at low altitudes would make the aircraft susceptible to multiple forms of enemy fire. If enemy fire were able to take down one of these aircraft, then a considerable amount of money and supplies will have been wasted. Flying at these low altitudes is inherently more dangerous, and it will be nearly impossible to rely on these low altitude drops when the United States fights an enemy with greater anti-aircraft capabilities. Is this new innovation something that can be applied to conflicts in the future or is it a quick fix to our current logistical problems?
ReplyDeleteI do believe this can be a very unique system if it is indeed a more efficient way to pick up supplies. Since war is drawing down, I would like to see how this can affect humanitarian missions or other missions that are not in combat zones. It would be interesting to see what kind of supplies can be dropped using this method, or better how can they improve this system so that it can drop anything without it endangering the supply due to the high speed impact. One consideration that I would like to point out is not just where they can drop these supplies, but how do troops recover them. Will this lead to a new method of recovering the supplies more efficiently as well?
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great system and Sasquatch brings up an interesting point in regards to dropping it on uneven terrain and its effects associated with this. The accuracy of the drop is 35m which sounds accurate. The necessary requirement for this sort of insertion would be a drop zone. In addition to this, whatever unit is receiving these supplies has to provide security to the drop zone. It would require not only security but the ability to recover these supplies fast enough so they are out of a high profile area because once the enemy sees a C-17 or a C-23 Sherpa flying this low, they will know something is coming. It will draw attention to the area as well. This is an interesting advancement in bringing supplies to the front lines in a quickly and somewhat efficient manner.
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