Airborne Systems
Airborne Systems designs and manufactures parachute, GPADS, aircraft safety, and spacecraft recovery systems for the U.S. military, NASA, allied-nation armed forces, and commercial space primes across three U.S. facilities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1919
- HeadquartersPennsauken, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Airborne Systems does
Airborne Systems, founded in 1919 by Leslie Irvin and headquartered in Pennsauken, New Jersey, designs and manufactures parachute systems, guided precision aerial delivery systems (GPADS), aircraft safety equipment, and spacecraft entry, descent, and landing (EDL) systems for military, space, and humanitarian customers. The company operates from three U.S. facilities (Pennsauken, NJ; Santa Ana, CA; Eloy, AZ) with approximately 500 employees, and reports no public ownership structure. Its product portfolio spans personnel and cargo parachutes (Intruder, T-11, MC-6, Spartan Reserve), GPS-guided delivery systems (MicroFly, DragonFly, FlyClops), parachutist oxygen systems (SOLR), inflatable aerodynamic decelerators (HIAD, SIAD), aircraft landing deceleration, spin/stall recovery, and ejection seats, plus capsule and booster recovery parachutes for crewed and uncrewed spaceflight. Technical differentiation rests on proprietary simulation tools, including the MIDAS 6-DOF recovery analysis code and pioneering LS-DYNA fluid-structure interaction modeling, backed by in-house tensile, wind tunnel, supersonic flight, and environmental testing capabilities up to 75,000 lb payloads.
The business model is anchored in direct sales to the U.S. Department of Defense, NASA, allied-nation militaries (50+ countries), and a small set of commercial space primes (SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing). Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales under competitive and IDIQ (Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity) contracts, supplemented by recurring training services at the ISO 9001:2015 certified Sawtooth Training Facility in Eloy, Arizona, which trains ~400 U.S. Marines annually under a 5-year IDIQ. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is custom-quoted against contract specifications. The company holds FAA TSO-C23f, AS9100D, ISO 9001:2015, and NASA human-rating certifications, and is the sole OEM for F-16 deceleration systems with development work on F-35 ejection seats. Notable program milestones include the Mars 2020 Perseverance parachute, SpaceX Dragon main parachutes (Crew-5, Inspiration4), Blue Origin New Shepard escape systems, and the Artemis II Orion eleven-parachute recovery system (April 2026).
Airborne Systems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Airborne Systems
- Legal name
- Airborne Systems North America
- Website
- https://airborne-sys.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1919
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Airborne Systems designs and manufactures parachute, GPADS, aircraft safety, and spacecraft recovery systems for the U.S. military, NASA, allied-nation armed forces, and commercial space primes across three U.S. facilities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Airborne Systems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Aerospace Parachute and Recovery Systems
- NAICS
- Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419), Flight Training (611512)
- SIC
- Aircraft & Parts (3720), Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728), Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Reentry, Descent & Landing Systems (Capsules, Heat Shields, Parachutes) (IMABACAL)
Keywords
Where Airborne Systems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pennsauken
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Airborne Systems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Military Parachute Systems: Design, manufacturing, and sale of military parachute systems including personnel parachutes (Intruder, Marauder, Hi-5, Multi-Mission System, PS-2, Gemini Tandem), cargo parachutes (T-11, MC-6, Octo-11), and GPADS for precision aerial delivery.
- Space and Recovery Systems: Recovery systems for spacecraft including capsule recovery parachutes, booster recovery systems, planetary EDL systems for Mars missions, and HIAD technology for NASA and commercial space programs.
- Training Services: ISO 9001:2015 certified training programs for military customers including rigger training, airborne training, and SOLR oxygen training conducted at company facility or in-country at military installations.
- Air Systems and Safety Equipment: Aircraft safety systems including spin/stall recovery parachutes, ejection seat systems, aircraft landing deceleration systems, weapon deployment systems, and cockpit control systems.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Airborne Systems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Airborne Systems designs, develops, and manufactures military and aerospace parachute and aerodynamic decelerator systems, including personnel parachutes, cargo parachutes, GPS-guided precision aerial delivery systems (GPADS), parachutist oxygen supply systems, spacecraft entry/descent/landing and recovery systems, inflatable hypersonic decelerators (HIAD/SIAD), and aircraft safety systems such as ejection seats and spin-stall recovery parachutes. The company also provides ISO 9001:2015 certified parachute training courses and comprehensive product testing services.
Product overview
Airborne Systems is the world's leading military parachute design and manufacturing company with over 100 years of experience. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio organized into distinct product lines: Personnel Parachute Systems (Intruder Family, Marauder, Hi-5, Multi-Mission System, PS-2, Gemini Tandem) for military and commercial jump operations; Cargo and Troop Parachutes (T-11, T-11 Gen 2, MC-6, MC-6+, Octo-11, TJRS, AS-2000, T-11 Cargo, Unicross, Spartan Reserve) for heavy-duty deployment; GPADS - Guided Precision Aerial Delivery Systems (MicroFly II, MicroFly III, FireFly, FireFly II, NanoFly, RazorFly, DragonFly, FC Mini, FlyClops 2K, jTRAX NAVAID) using GPS-guided technology; Oxygen Systems (SOLR family) for high-altitude parachutist support; Space and Recovery Systems (Capsule, Booster, Payload, Fairing recovery) for spacecraft applications; Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerators (HIAD, SIAD, airbags, pneumatic actuators, inflatable wings) for hypersonic and supersonic applications; and Air Systems (landing deceleration, ejection seats, spin-stall recovery, flight termination) for aircraft safety. The company also provides comprehensive engineering and design services, product testing capabilities (tensile, flight, wind tunnel, environmental), and military training courses through their ISO 9001:2015 certified Sawtooth Training Facility in Arizona.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Personnel Parachute Systems
Quantifiable outcome
- Delivered 50,000 T-11 Parachute Systems worldwide as of 2023
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Airborne Systems
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Airborne Systems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature5 records
Airborne Systems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- NASAcoreLong-standing strategic partner for space recovery systems. Designed parachutes for Orion capsule, Mars missions (Perseverance, Curiosity), Space Shuttle, and various planetary exploration programs. Ongoing collaboration on Artemis program and future crewed lunar missions.
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)coreCollaborated on Mars 2020 Perseverance rover parachute system (2016-2021). Partnered on Low Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) program and ongoing planetary exploration missions.
- SpaceXcoreSupplier of main parachute systems for Dragon spacecraft. Supported Crew-5 mission splashdown and Inspiration4 crewed mission return.
- Blue OrigincoreDeveloped escape system for New Shepard crew capsule. Supporting New Shepard program with parachute landing systems for crew capsule recovery.
- BoeingcoreCST-100 Starliner recovery system developed based on Orion parachute design heritage. Boeing commercial crew program partner for NASA.
- U.S. ArmycoreSelected Airborne Systems for MC-6 replacement (2006 IDIQ contract) and ongoing supply of T-11, Intruder, and other military parachute systems.
- U.S. Marine CorpscoreAwarded Enhanced Multi-Mission Parachute System (E-MMPS) contract featuring Hi-5 canopy and Edge harness container. 5-year IDIQ for USMC Multi-Mission Parachute Course training approximately 400 Marines annually.
- UK Defence (DE&S)coreAwarded UK SOLR (Parachutist Oxygen Supply System) contract for next-generation oxygen delivery systems integrating with A400M and C-17 platforms.
- Dynetics (DARPA Gremlins Program)minorSupporting Dynetics in DARPA Gremlins program Phase 3 for air-launched recoverable drone systems.
- Martin-BakercoreHistoric partnership dating to 1951 for development of first autonomous pilot ejection seat system. Ongoing collaboration on aircraft escape systems.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Airborne Systems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentPeers
Direct peers
- IrvinGQ: UK-based manufacturer of personnel and cargo parachutes for military forces, including the IrvinGQ line descended from the original Irvin Air Chute Company genealogy. Competes with Airborne Systems in NATO and Commonwealth tenders.
- BRS Aerospace: Manufacturer of whole-aircraft ballistic parachute recovery systems for general aviation and military UAS. Competes at the intersection of safety/recovery parachutes, particularly in light aircraft and drone markets.
- Pioneer Aerospace (Safran): Safran-owned manufacturer of military and cargo parachutes, deceleration systems, and aerial delivery hardware. Most direct head-to-head competitor to Airborne Systems in troop/cargo parachutes and GPADS for U.S. and allied militaries.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Airborne Systems social profiles
Digital presenceAirborne Systems compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Airborne Systems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Airborne Systems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Airborne Systems subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Airborne Systems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Airborne Systems M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Airborne Systems
What does Airborne Systems do?
Airborne Systems designs, develops, and manufactures military and aerospace parachute and aerodynamic decelerator systems, including personnel parachutes, cargo parachutes, GPS-guided precision aerial delivery systems (GPADS), parachutist oxygen supply systems, spacecraft entry/descent/landing and recovery systems, inflatable hypersonic decelerators (HIAD/SIAD), and aircraft safety systems such as ejection seats and spin-stall recovery parachutes. The company also provides ISO 9001:2015 certified parachute training courses and comprehensive product testing services.
Is Airborne Systems a public or private company?
Airborne Systems is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Airborne Systems founded?
Airborne Systems was founded in 1919. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Airborne Systems based?
Airborne Systems is headquartered in Pennsauken, United States, in the North America region.
How does Airborne Systems make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Military Parachute Systems are the primary driver. The others are space and Recovery Systems, training Services and air Systems and Safety Equipment.
Who are Airborne Systems's main competitors?
Collins Aerospace (RTX) is listed as a peer. Direct peers are IrvinGQ, BRS Aerospace and Pioneer Aerospace (Safran).
Does Airborne Systems have an API?
No public API is recorded for Airborne Systems.
What industry is Airborne Systems in?
Airborne Systems's product category is Aerospace Parachute and Recovery Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABACAL, Reentry, Descent & Landing Systems (Capsules, Heat Shields, Parachutes). Its NAICS code is 336413 and its SIC code is 3720.