Vision

Be forward focused and a respected Operational Test Directorate that supports current, future, and transformation warfighter requirements through timely, unbiased, rigorous, and realistic service-unique and joint testing to ensure Soldier safety and  battlefield success.

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OTC's most unique test directorate is the Airborne and Special Operations Test Directorate (ABNSOTD) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. A direct descendant of the original parachute test platoon in 1940, this directorate is not only responsible for the testing of new parachutes and airborne equipment, but is also chartered to certify every item of Army equipment to be airdropped, airlifted, sling-loaded, or in any way transported or delivered by Army or Air Force aircraft.

Certification for every class and type of aircraft for airdrop of personnel and equipment, including new military, foreign, and commercial aircraft, comes as a result of testing by this Directorate and is finalized with the publication of approved airdrop rigging procedures in the appropriate technical and training manuals.

Directorate personnel perform extensive testing of Soldier equipment to be employed in airborne operations, ranging from new personnel parachute systems to any new or modified combat equipment or individual weapons systems.

The ABNSOTD Military Free-Fall Section tests numerous state-of-the-art components and procedures directly related to Special Operations Forces (SOF) infiltration and exfiltration requirements to meet both present day immediate operational needs and those of the future.

The Electronics Branch uses state-of-the-art instrumentation placed on test jumpers or test loads to indicate and record specific test data as directed by the test officers. Data includes G-force opening shock load, heavy drop load force transfer, pitch-roll-yaw, and time coded positional data.

ABNSOTD has the critical responsibility to provide dynamic, responsive, and quality testing in order to meet the needs of the airborne and special operations communities.

Organization