Military Parachutes: Observations on Army and Marine Corps Acquisition Programs

Why GAO Did This Study. Combined, the Army and the Marine Corps expect to spend almost $150 million to replace thousands of aging free fall parachute systems with higher performing ones better suited for current threats. Free fall parachute systems allow military personnel to deploy a parachute during descent and then navigate to a designated landing area. Each service has awarded contracts for its new parachute system. The Army awarded its contract for the Advanced Ram Air Parachute Systemknown as the RA-1in 2011. The Marine Corps awarded its contract for the Enhanced-Multi Mission Parachute Systemnow called the PS-2in 2018. The House Armed Services Committee included a provision for GAO to review the Army and Marine Corps procurement of free fall parachutes. This report examines: (1) the acquisition strategies used by the Army and Marine Corps for their parachute programs and (2) the extent to which the Army and Marine Corps programs are meeting their cost, schedule, and performance goals. GAO analyzed program and contract documentation for the Armys RA-1 and the Marine Corps PS-2 acquisition programs and interviewed or obtained information from relevant officials from the Army, Marine Corps, and prime contractor for both programs.