Defence ministry to buy single-use parachutes for aid and operational missions

The ministry of Defence has given the green light for the purchase of 240 single-use parachutes to be used for humanitarian airdrops, such as those it has carried out above Gaza. 

Reusable parachutes were used during the first humanitarian mission over Gaza, known as Operation Cerulean Skies, in 2024. This depleted existing stocks. 

To solve the shortage, last year the ministry tested 15 disposable parachutes of the Low Cost Aerial Delivery System type, which proved to work well with the A400M transport aircraft.

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The army has now approved the rapid purchase of 240 such parachutes, at a cost of 2.1 million euros. They are four to five times cheaper than the standard G12 type and will also be used for operational missions.

“This will ensure not only that our operations can continue, but also that we can intervene quickly in humanitarian and military missions,” said Defence minister Theo Francken. 

The purchase is a step towards a multi-year agreement that will cover recurring needs from 2026. 

^{Aid parcels are dropped over the northern Gaza Strip in March 2024 © PHOTO AFP}

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