The Air Drop Mission Planner System is an aircraft tool in the aircraft that calculates an acceptable cargo release point when given a desired land…
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance
July 1, 2019
minute read time
The Air Drop Mission Planner System is an aircraft tool in the aircraft that calculates an acceptable cargo release point when given a desired landing point using prevailing winds. A Drop Sonde Sensor is sub-system of the Air Drop Mission Planner that collects and tracks GPS location to calculate the best release point. For the proposed action, Idaho National Laboratory assists Drop Sonde data collection testing over Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in southern Idaho by the US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development, and Engineering Center (NSRDEC). Testing uses an aircraft at 10,000 ft above ground level (AGL) and releases a drop Sonde over unoccupied BLM land. A parachute controls descent of the Drop Sonde which descends at about 75 ft/s.