Aid from the air: India tests new air drop system to deliver emergency supplies to naval ships

The Defence Research and Development Organisation and the Indian Navy have successfully completed flight trials of an indigenously developed Air Droppable Container (ADC-150) system, capable of delivering 150 kilograms of critical supplies to naval vessels operating far from the coastline, in a significant boost to India's maritime logistics capability under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

Four in-flight release trials were conducted from a Boeing P-8I Poseidon aircraft off the coast of Goa between February 21 and March 1, 2026 , under varying extreme release conditions. The system is now expected to be inducted into the Navy soon.

The ADC-150 is designed to deliver engineering spare parts, equipment, medical supplies, and emergency stores to ships on long-duration deep-sea deployments. Once released from the aircraft, the container descends via a multi-stage parachute system comprising auxiliary, drogue, and main parachutes, landing safely on the sea surface for the crew to retrieve.

India had previously developed the SAHAYAK-NG air droppable container, successfully tested in December 2020 , which carried up to 50 kilograms with GPS guidance from an IL-38SD aircraft. The ADC-150 triples that payload capacity and integrates with the P-8I Poseidon, the Navy's primary long-range maritime patrol platform, of which India currently operates 12 aircraft with six more on order.

Multiple DRDO laboratories contributed to the programme. The Naval Science and Technological Laboratory, Visakhapatnam led the effort, the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment, Agra developed the parachute system, the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification, Bengaluru provided flight clearance, and the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad handled instrumentation support.

Globally, the system stands apart from comparable technologies. The US Navy's UNI-PAC III , deployed from its P-8A Poseidon, is a search and rescue tool, not a logistics supply system. Other P-8 operators including the UK, Australia, Norway, and South Korea have no equivalent dedicated naval logistics drop system. China and Russia rely on fleet replenishment ships instead.

With the Indian Navy patrolling vast stretches of the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, and Bay of Bengal , the ADC-150 ensures ships can receive urgent supplies mid-mission without returning to port, directly strengthening operational readiness and long-range mission endurance.