To support Capability Requirement for Airborne Delivery (AD), in support of endorsed Defence Military Tasks the Hercules C130J Mk4 and C17 required to airdrop the Offshore Raiding Craft forward Console Variant (ORC FCV) from a platform to allow safe extraction from the aircraft when in flight.
Defence required the capability to conduct the AD of specific boat types in support of contingency force requirements. Current in-service Arctic24 and Arctic 28 Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs) are aerially delivered through incorporation on to the Platform Universal Rigid Inflatable Boat Aerial Delivery (PURIBAD) system, which is compatible with the floor, load side guidance, and restraint systems of a Hercules C130J Mk4. This enables the RIBs to be extracted from the aircraft and retarded by parachutes to ensure the survivability of the payload.
The ORC FCV was trialed and exceeded the load envelope which is beyond the PURIBAD capabilities, therefore, requires a new AD platform. P3C led this project through an Assessment Phase (AP) to evaluate candidate Off-the-Shelf Airborne Delivery systems for use with the ORC FCV. The AP included a trial of candidate systems to support a down-selection decision, safety assessment, and Release To Service. Proposals were sought from industry for supply of systems and through-life support.