Indian Army Validates Indigenous 28-ft Heavy Drop System for 20-Tonne Armoured Vehicles

The Indian Army, in partnership with Airbornics Defence & Space Pvt. Ltd. (ADSL) — the defence division of JCBL Group — and the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), a laboratory under India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has successfully validated an advanced 28-ft Heavy Air Drop System rated for 20-tonne payloads. The Army Airborne Training School (AATS) conducted the trial on 17 February 2026 at the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan.

The validation represented a significant technological milestone: for the first time in India, a 28-ft platform was employed with a twin 28-ft extractor configuration and a four-point link system for strategic payload deployment. Unlike previous trials that relied on dummy loads, this test involved the aerial extraction and controlled landing of an actual approximately 15-tonne BMP Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), conducted under near-realistic operational conditions.

The system is compatible with C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules aircraft — the primary heavy-lift platforms in the Indian Air Force's fleet — enabling the aerial deployment of heavy combat equipment across varied terrain, including high-altitude zones and locations inaccessible by ground transport. The cross-platform deployment capability allows armoured vehicles such as the BMP Infantry Fighting Vehicle to be inserted rapidly into forward operational areas.

All components of the system — from the drop platform and extractor parachutes to the main canopy assemblies and associated subsystems — have been designed, engineered, and manufactured entirely within India, consistent with the government's Make in India initiative for defence self-reliance. JCBL (ADSL) is now reported to be the only Indian company to have indigenised this class of heavy-drop technology in collaboration with DRDO, and to have advanced it into an operationally deployable configuration.

Rishi Aggarwal, Managing Director of JCBL Group, described the outcome as a milestone under the Make in India initiative and attributed the achievement to the collaborative partnership with DRDO's ADRDE. Raj Kumar Pandey, Director and CEO of JCBL (ADSL), noted that every element of the system was designed and manufactured domestically.

The successful validation follows earlier controlled trials using standard 12–24 ft platforms with dummy loads. The progression to a larger platform configuration and live payload testing reflects an incremental development approach aimed at ensuring system reliability before operational adoption. The Heavy Drop System has now been formally deployed with the Indian Army.