Army Has New Parachute

After over 50 years of use, the US Army now has a new parachute system, the T11.  Although I usually jumped the maneuverable T-1B, the jumps that I did make with the T10 were an experience as there was no control, one goes where the wind takes you, and you hit like a ton of ammo cans.

With a higher load capacity of 40lbs, a greatly reduced injury rate, and a much more comfortable landing, the chute system does have a few drawbacks.  First the weight.  It is a load increase of 9 more pounds for the trooper, Ranger, or operator to "waddle" to the aircraft with.  There is also a greater lag, or deployment time with the new chute, and Army cadence's will have to be changed.  It will now be "Stand up, hook up, shuffle to the door, jump on out and count to six"" (no longer four, and eight if you are jumping from a helicopter).

The square shaped canopy is more stable and should also reduce in air collisions of the jumpers, a very dangerous situation that can be encountered during mass jumps.

I would expect the smaller units such as Ranger and SOCOM units to continue to use the T-1B or systems based on the highly maneuverable civilian 250 commando.