With the opening of the Ordnance Parachute Factory (OPF) in Kanpur to produce parachutes for Tejas fighter pilots, India has made another major stride towards independence in the defence industry. This is a significant turning point in India’s attempts to lessen its reliance on imports for vital defence hardware.
To guarantee the safe ejection of pilots in emergency situations, the Indian Air Force has up to now, depended on parachutes from the US and Europe. The Tejas pilots will no longer have to rely on imported technology, though, thanks to the recent advancement. In the event of an emergency ejection at speeds of up to 2205 kilometres per hour and altitudes of up to 50,000 feet, pilots will be able to safely descend to the ground thanks to the parachutes, which were specifically made for the fast Tejas fighter jet.
The parachutes were designed by engineers at DRDO’s Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE) and subsequently produced by OPF Kanpur, a division of Gliders India Limited, a public sector company of the Ministry of Defence. The pilot’s safety during high-speed missions is guaranteed by the parachutes’ perfect integration with the Tejas aircraft’s ejection systems.
The new parachutes are more affordable in addition to being of international grade. The parachutes produced at OPF are priced at around 8 lakhs each, which is almost half the price of those created abroad, but imported parachutes might cost several lakhs. Even though they are less expensive, the parachutes are strong and dependable enough to fulfil international requirements, protecting pilots in emergency situations.
OPF is now the only plant in Asia to manufacture such affordable, high-quality pilot parachutes for cutting-edge fighter planes. These parachutes are around 12 meters in length and weigh about 8 kilograms. A variety of fighter planes, including the Tejas, Sukhoi, Mirage, Jaguar, and MiG, are intended to employ them; pilot and brake parachutes are made for different aircraft.
To further encourage women’s empowerment and self-sufficiency, OPF has also established a separate workshop for the manufacture of pilot parachutes for Tejas aircraft. Sixty-five women now have jobs thanks to this program, which also helps the government’s efforts to increase the number of women working in the defence industry. With this accomplishment, India keeps improving its defence capabilities and promoting independence in vital areas like aeronautical technology. It is anticipated that this new breakthrough will be crucial in protecting fighter pilots and lessening the country’s reliance on foreign defence hardware.
