The Aeronautical Systems Center is working on a “promising concept” that could make high-altitude airdrops more rapid, safe, and accurate. The Joint Precision Airdrop System incorporates several steerable components—canopy and electro-mechanical actuators—an airborne guidance unit, and mission planning hardware and software. JPADS has been in the works for the past three years, as a means to deliver ground-force supplies into a soccer field size drop zone from 25,000 feet. The altitude would keep aircrews safe from most surface-to-air threats, and the system would further reduce reliance on ground convoys.
The Air Force wants to pump more than $12 billion over the next five years into its new affordable long-range missiles program and recently asked industry to push the flights of some of those munitions beyond 1,200 miles.