Knapik JJ, Graham B, Steelman R, Colliver K, Jones BH. The Advanced Tactical Parachute System (T-11): injuries during basic military parachute training. Aviat Space Environ Med 2011; 82:935–40.
Background:
Since the 1950s, the standard U.S. military
troop parachute system has been the T-10. The T-10 is currently being replaced by the newer T-11 system.
Purpose:
This investigation compared injury incidence between the T-10 and T-11 military parachute systems.
Methods:
Participants were students in basic parachute
training at the U.S. Army Airborne School (USAAS). Students performed their first parachute jumps with the T-11 and subsequent jumps with the T-10. Injury data were collected from routine reports produced by the USAAS. Combat loaded jumps and night jumps were excluded from the analysis since
these were only conducted with the T-10.
Results:
There were a total of 76 injuries in 30,755 jumps for an overall cumulative injury incidence of 2.5/1000 jumps. With the T-10 parachute, there were 61 injuries in 21,404 jumps for a cumulative injury incidence of 2.9/1000 jumps;
with the T-11 parachute there were 15 injuries in 9351 jumps for a cumulative injury incidence of 1.6/1000 jumps [risk ratio (T10/T11) = 1.78, 95% confidence interval = 1.01–3.12, P = 0.04].
Discussion:
Limitations to this analysis included the fact that the T-11
was only used on the first jumps among students who had likely never previously performed a parachute jump and that aircraft exit procedures differed very slightly for the two parachutes. Nonetheless, the data suggest that injury incidence is lower with the T-11 parachute than with the T-10
parachute when airborne training operations are conducted during the day without combat loads.