Useful Links

• American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems Technical Committee (AIAA ADS TC)

• U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground

• U.S. Army Natick Soldier RD&E Center

• U.S. Army Picatinny Arsenal

• Parachute Industry Association

• Airborne Systems

• Capewell Aerial Systems

• Parachute History Collection at Linda Hall Library

• Autonomous Systems Track at NPS

• GSEAS Dynamics and Control Lab

• Autonomous Systems Engineering and Integration Lab

• Arcturus UAV

In the early 2000s, several Precision Airdrop Technology Conference and Demonstrations (PATCAD), sponsored and organized by the Natick Soldier System Center at the Yuma Proving Ground and in France took place. Specifically, they are as follows:

• PATCAD-2009 (at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, Yuma, AZ)
• PACD-2008 (near Bordeaux, France)
• PATCAD-2007 (at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, Yuma, AZ)
• PACD-2006 (near Bordeaux, France)
• PATCAD-2005 (at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, Yuma, AZ)
• PATCAD-2003 (at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, Yuma, AZ)
• PATCAD-2001 (at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, Yuma, AZ)

Below, you will find several papers describing GPADS and JPADS programs and providing an overview of current concepts in precision aerial delivery the results of recent PATCADs.

• [JPADS] Benney, R., Meloni, A., Henry, M., Lafond, K., Cook, G., Patel, S., and Goodell, L, “Joint Medical Distance Support and Evaluation (JMDSE) Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) & Joint Precision Air Delivery Systems (JPADS),” Proceedings of the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference, Tampa, FL, June 2-4, 2009.
• [JPADS] Benney, R., Henry, M., Lafond, K., Meloni, A., and Patel, S., “DOD New JPADS Programs and NATO Activities,” Proceedings of the 20th AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems Technology Conference and Seminar, Seattle, WA, May 4-7, 2009.
• [PACD’08] de Lassat de Pressigny, Y., Bechet, R., Benney, R., Henry, M., and Wintgens, J.-H., “PACD 2008: Operational Requirements Fulfilled,” Proceedings of the 20th AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems Technology Conference and Seminar, Seattle, WA, May 4-7, 2009.
• [PATCAD’07] Benney, R., Meloni, A., Cronk, A., and Tiaden, R., “Precision Airdrop Technology Conference and Demonstration 2007,” Proceedings of the 20th AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems Technology Conference and Seminar, Seattle, WA, May 4-7, 2009.
• [JPADS] Benney, R., McGrath, J., McHugh, J., Noetscher, G., Tavan, S., and Patel, S. “DOD JPADS Programs Overview and NATO Activities,” Proceedings of the 19th AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems Technology Conference and Seminar, Williamsburg, VA, May 21-24, 2007.
• [PACD’06] de Lassat de Pressigny, Y., Brugidou, J., and Tavan, S. “Wind Forecast Accuracy and PADS Performance Assessment,” Proceedings of the 19th AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems Technology Conference and Seminar, Williamsburg, VA, May 21-24, 2007.
• [PACD’06] de Lassat de Pressigny, Y., Benney, R., Vallance, M., and Wintgens J.-H., “PACD 2006,” Proceedings of the 19th AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems Technology Conference and Seminar, Williamsburg, VA, May 21-24, 2007.
• [Concept] Benney, R., Barber, J., McGrath, J., McHugh, J., Noetscher, G., and Tavan, S., “The New Military Applications of Precision Airdrop Systems,” Proceedings of Infotech@Aerospace, Arlington, Virginia, September 26-29, 2005.
• [Concept] Tavan, S., “Status and Context of High Altitude Precision Aerial Delivery Systems,” Proceedings of the AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference and Exhibit, Keystone, Colorado, August 21-24, 2006.
• [JPADS] Wuest, M.R., and Benney, R.J., Precision Airdrop, RTO NATO AGARDograph 300, Flight Test Technologies Series, vol.24, France, December, 2005.
• [JPADS] Benney, R., Barber, J., McGrath, J., McHugh, J., Noetscher, G., and Tavan, S., “The Joint Precision Airdrop System Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration,” Proceedings of the 18th AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems Technology Conference and Seminar, Munich, Germany, May 23-26, 2005.
• [Concept] Brown, G., and Benney, R. “Precision Aerial Delivery Systems in a Tactical Environment,” Proceedings of the 18th AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems Technology Conference and Seminar, Munich, Germany, May 23-26, 2005.
• [PATCAD’03] McHugh, J., Benney, R., and Miletti, J., and Mortaloni, P., U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, Yuma, AZ , “Planning, Execution and Results of the Precision Airdrop Technology Conference and Demonstration (2003),” Proceedings of the 18th AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems Technology Conference and Seminar, Munich, Germany, May 23-26, 2005.
• [Concept] Benney, R., and Accorsi, M., “Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems - Diverse Challenges and Recent Advances,” Journal of Aircraft, vol.38, no.5, 2001, pp.785-785.
• [PTD] Petry, G., Behr, R., and Tscharntke, L., ”The Parafoil Technology Demonstration (PTD) Project – Lessons Learned and Future Visions,” Proceedings of the 15th CEAS/AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems Technology Conference, Toulouse, France, June 8-11, 1999.
• [GPADS] Patel S., Hackett, N.R., and Jorgensen, D.S., “Qualification of the Guided Parafoil Air Delivery System-Light (GPADS-Light),” Proceedings of the 14th AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems Technology Conference, San Francisco, CA, June 3-5, 1997.
• [GPADS] Wailes, W.K, and Harrington, N.E., “The Guided Parafoil Airborne Delivery System Program”, Proceedings of the 13th AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems Technology Conference, Clearwater Beach, FL, May 15-18, 1995.