According to foreign media reports, it is planned to install the latest upgraded version 3.0 of the "Joint Precision Airdrop System" this year. The system has added daytime visual navigation function, and its biggest feature is that it can use visual landmarks to achieve precise navigation when GPS signals are interfered with, ensuring accurate delivery in complex environments. On the modern battlefield, precision airdrops are evolving from auxiliary logistics support methods to key capabilities that can influence the course of combat. The history of airdrop of supplies driven by battlefield demand is almost as long as military aviation itself. When our own troops are obstructed by terrain, enemy lines of defense, or sudden combat situations, and ground transportation lines are cut off, airdrop of supplies becomes an important means of maintaining the combat effectiveness of the troops, as well as a key factor in supporting the breakthrough behind enemy lines. Since its launch, airdrop has been an extremely imprecise and risky technology. In the past, ballistic parachutes were greatly affected by wind, and supplies often scattered outside the designated area. Key supplies could also be lost or damaged, and ground forces faced significant risks when retrieving scattered supplies. These issues force the carrier to lower its altitude and speed to improve the accuracy of the airdrop, but this is highly vulnerable to ground fire threats. Precise airdrop is the combination of past parachute landing technology and modern navigation control technology to form an intelligent system capable of autonomously executing airdrop tasks. This system integrates multiple sensor data to calculate the position, velocity, attitude, and heading of the parachute in real time. It generates control signals based on preset targets or instructions, drives the control equipment, and achieves precise correction of the parachute descent trajectory, ultimately landing at the target position point accurately. Precise airdrops have enhanced the survivability of aircraft and changed the logistics support and tactical delivery mode on the battlefield. It changes the airdrop method from the past "coverage delivery" to "point-to-point" delivery, allowing ground forces to quickly obtain material supplies without the need for high-risk, large-scale ground searches. The aerial delivery platform can complete delivery tasks from outside the enemy's defense zone or minimize the stay time in dangerous airspace, reducing personnel casualties and platform exposure risks. In pursuit of precision and efficiency, precision airdrop technology is rapidly developing along the directions of diversified guidance, intelligent systems, remote delivery, diversified means, and platform collaboration to jointly ensure the accuracy of airdrops. In terms of navigation and guidance, there has been a shift from relying on a single navigation technology to integrating multiple navigation technologies. Early airdrop systems relied on satellite navigation, but in strong electronic warfare environments, satellite navigation signals were susceptible to interference and deception. The precise airdrop system integrates multiple navigation technologies to achieve high-precision autonomous navigation and trajectory correction under satellite denial, complex electromagnetic environments, and adverse weather conditions. The 3.0 version of the US Joint Precision Airdrop System mentioned earlier uses visual navigation technology that does not rely on GPS. The United States also plans to install version 4.0 in 2028, further integrating infrared imaging and anti-interference technology to achieve precise navigation in complex environments such as nighttime, severe weather, and open waters. This multi-sensor information fusion architecture ensures that the system can provide support for trajectory correction under any conditions. In terms of system control, technological development is moving towards a highly intelligent and autonomous direction. Compared to previous mechanical parachute landing systems, the precision airdrop system is equipped with an autonomous flight control system, which can flexibly adjust the parachute landing method and airdrop trajectory according to the battlefield weather conditions. For example, the "Grasshopper" unmanned glider developed by a technology company in the United States can autonomously adjust its attitude, fly along a preset route, and adjust its flight path in real time. In terms of combat application, we pursue the capability of long-range strategic delivery. By adding power devices to the airdrop payload, its gliding and maneuvering range can be further expanded, enabling the carrier to airdrop from safe airspace far away from the theater, achieving long-range and precise support for deep combat forces. The latest "Joint Precision Airdrop System" project released by the US military clearly requires that the delivery distance of airdrop payloads be extended from 24 kilometers to 400 kilometers through the installation of power devices, while the effective payload capacity is not less than 300 kilograms. This long-range delivery capability can effectively enhance the safety of aircraft and elevate the logistical support capability on the battlefield to a new level. In terms of delivery methods, there is a parallel development of umbrella and non umbrella technologies. Among them, the parachute system continues to develop towards high-performance wing parachutes and controllable parachutes, while improving accuracy and maneuverability. In addition, explore the application of umbrella free technology in specific scenarios. Such systems typically use disposable autonomous glider designs, such as the French supply glider and the American "Silent Arrow" GD-2000. They do not need to be recovered after completing the delivery mission, and achieve the intact landing of materials through precise guidance and buffering technology. This method has short preparation time, low cost, and no risk of umbrella failure, making it suitable for specific emergency supply scenarios. In terms of architecture, the development direction of precise delivery is multi platform collaboration and cluster operations. In the future, precise airdrops will no longer be completed by a single platform, but through data links to achieve task coordination between large transport aircraft, drones, and ground receiving points. Alternatively, drone swarms can perform multi-point supply missions to form an efficient, flexible, and reconfigurable three-dimensional delivery network. Despite this, as a continuously evolving and complex technology, precise airdrop technology still faces multiple constraints in practical applications. One issue is the reliability and cost of the system itself. The precise airdrop system integrates precision navigation, control, and actuation components, and its complex structure makes it prone to malfunctions in battlefield environments. For this reason, engineers divided the whole system into multiple standard modules, making it easy to repair and upgrade a single module. In addition, by repeatedly testing the system through computer simulation, potential problems can be identified and resolved, resulting in reduced research and development costs and improved product reliability. Secondly, complex environments pose a challenge to navigation accuracy. Although the precise airdrop system integrates multiple navigation technologies, it still encounters difficulties in practical applications. For example, in dense fog, heavy rain, or nighttime conditions, the "seeing" ability of optical and infrared sensors will significantly decrease; On vast snowy plains or sea surfaces, navigation systems may be unable to perform terrain matching due to the lack of obvious ground features. To enhance environmental adaptability, the system still needs to become more "smart" - able to predict wind direction changes through algorithms or identify fuzzy landmarks in adverse weather conditions. In addition, it is necessary to explore new navigation assistance methods. Thirdly, the requirements for the carrier platform limit the flexibility of airdrops. To ensure high precision, some precise airdrop systems require the carrier to fly smoothly for a certain distance at a certain altitude and speed before conducting airdrops, which means that the carrier will face certain risks. In addition, heavy airdrops require high strength and buffering technology for parachute systems, and finding a safe landing site in complex terrains such as dense forests and swamps is a major challenge in itself. Currently, precision airdrop technology is evolving from an auxiliary logistics support method to a critical capability that can impact the course of operations. Although this technology faces many challenges in terms of system cost and environmental adaptability, these issues are expected to be gradually resolved. The development of precise airdrop technology reflects the transformation of modern military logistics from "simple logistics support" to "intelligent precision support", promoting further development of logistics support. (New Society)