New life preserver sought for US Army parachute ops
Representatives at the US Army’s Natick Soldier System Center have begun the search for a new life preserver designed for use during airborne operations.
According to a ‘sources sought’ announcement released on 19 January, service representatives have identified an equipment gap within the current legacy parachutist floatation systems, including the B-7, the LPU-10, and the tactical flotation support system (TFSS) life preservers.
The announcement stated that the current designs ‘do not meet all of the Army’s requirements for intentional, and/or unintentional parachutist water entry’.
While not identifying specific shortfalls in the current designs, it outlined an improved tactical flotation support
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