Berry Amendment
US-origin textile and parachute solutions for defense procurement, aligned with DoD procurement rules for US defense contracts.
APCO Defense Europe · Unmanned aerial vehicle recovery UAV parachute
UAV parachute
recovery
systems.
Descent, recovery and protection systems for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), loitering munitions, tactical platforms and aerospace missions. Produced in our ISO 9001 / MIL-SPEC certified facility.
- Platforms from 3 kg
- Payloads above 1,000 kg
- ISO 9001
- MIL-SPEC
Find your solution
Search by product, platform or environment.
The same recovery problem behaves differently at altitude, over water, in rough terrain or on a high-speed platform. Start with the condition that defines your mission.
Products All
Super-pressure and helium balloons↗Deceleration and braking parachutes↗Gliding parachutes↗Ram-air parachutes↗Drone airbags for UAV recovery↗Cargo parachutes↗Release mechanisms↗Inflatables and drone landing pads↗UAV crash pads for ground landing↗Ultralight parachutes, low packed volume↗Drone nets and ballistic net solutions↗ISR tactical ram-air parachute system↗Human-rated certification↗
Platforms All
VTOL parachute recovery systems↗Parachutes for fixed-wing drones and UAVs↗Helicopter drone and UAV recovery↗JPADS↗H.A.L.O. high altitude low opening↗HAHO jump: high altitude high opening↗High-velocity drogue parachute↗Aerial delivery: non-guided cargo drops↗Powered paraglider · foot launch↗Paratrike and powered paragliding↗ Multi-rotor Environments All
UAV recovery in rough terrain↗Water landing and amphibious recovery↗Underwater recovery in high-density fluids↗Chemically resistant UAV recovery systems↗Nomex and fire resistant fabrics↗ Low air densitySupersonic recovery Design and manufacturing
One partner from requirement to deployment.
APCO Aviation designs, tests and manufactures parachutes and recovery systems.
- 01
Define
Project request, mission needs, constraints, cost and timeline.
- 02
Design
Recovery architecture, lightweight materials and analysis.
- 03
Prototype
Build per specs, material testing in our facility and precision assembly for validation.
- 04
Test
Deployment sequences, ground and aerial drops, data.
- 05
Produce
Approved serial manufacturing, full traceability, QC and certified final delivery.
- 06
After sale
Manuals, training, repairs, storage and repacking guidance, and lifecycle support.
Custom-made products
Designed for the platform and payload.
Use a proven architecture, combine systems or define a new one. The result is engineered around payload, deployment envelope, landing energy and mission profile.
Integrated recovery
Parachute and airbag combinations for sensitive or high-value platforms.
Low-bulk architectures
Lightweight, compact systems designed for integration where space is limited.
Disconnect after landing
Release mechanisms separate canopy and platform at touchdown, before wind can drag the load.
See the system in motion
From deployment to recovery.
The full film shows deployment, descent and recovery in context. It loads only on click — until then no connection to YouTube is made.
Parachutes, UAV recovery and airbags.
Our second film gives an overview of parachutes, UAV recovery, inflatable airbags and more. It too loads only on click.
Project examples
Six projects, six solution paths.
Each of these systems started from a specific requirement — from a fully textile release mechanism and an ultra-light extraction stretcher to a ring-shaped parachute that functions as a net.
Soft three-ring release
A fully textile release mechanism with no metal parts: no damage to the carbon fiber body on rebound, and release only on active engagement.
Soft Gurney
Ultra-lightweight tactical and civilian extraction stretcher: under 300 grams, folding to the size of a soda can.
Self-inflatable airbag for a 75 kg UAV
Fills from the airflow without compressed gas cylinders or pumps, synchronised with the descent after parachute opening.
Super-light UAV parachute
Total parachute weight under 800 g for payloads up to 75 kg at a sink rate below 4 m/s.
Steerable ram-air parachute for UAVs
Deployment from straight and level flight, a glide ratio of approximately 1:4.5, pinpoint landing within a 4-foot radius and flaring before touchdown.
Annular parachute
A ring-shaped canopy that functions as a net: an effective area above 40 m² in under 1.5 litres of packed volume, deploying in under 0.5 seconds.
Working with us
Export documentation and procurement requirements.
We prepare documentation for dual-use exports, end use and quality requirements and support the procedure. The following procurement requirements apply according to the contract.
Wassenaar Arrangement
Experience with dual-use export classification and the international delivery of parachutes and technical textiles under the rules of the Wassenaar Arrangement.
DFARS
Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: materials, sourcing, cybersecurity, quality and reporting.
Buy American Act (BAA)
Our US manufacturing partnerships for parachutes, inflatables and recovery systems in federal projects, aligned with the Buy American Act.
Supplier partnerships
US small and minority business partnerships, aimed at set-aside program goals for US government contracts.
ISO 9001, aligned with AS9100
Our quality manufacturing, aligned with ISO 9001 and AS9100 — quality systems for aerospace and military requirements.
EAR
Experience with Export Administration Regulations for dual-use goods.
NIST 800-171
Secure handling of sensitive project data.
Offset programs
Industrial participation and international contract support, including the ability to fulfil offset obligations.
Customs & export
In-house or partnered cross-border logistics and import/export clearance.
Export control for European buyers →
Source: apcodefense.com (APCO Aviation), as of 25 September 2026.
Global presence
Made in Israel. Fielded worldwide.
APCO Aviation is based in Israel, where our facility is. Our systems are field-proven worldwide, for military, government and civilian organizations. In Europe, APCO Defense Europe is your point of contact.
Questions teams ask
Define the platform and operating conditions.
What platforms can APCO Aviation support?
From small tactical UAVs and loitering munitions through fixed-wing and VTOL platforms to helicopter systems, cargo delivery and high-altitude parachute platforms such as HALO and HAHO. Mission profile, payload and deployment conditions decide, not the platform category alone. There is no single rule of thumb: every system is engineered around the platform, mission profile, deployment method and operating environment.
Can the system be customised?
Yes. Recovery systems are matched to the platform and the mission, not the other way round, whether for high-speed missile recovery, low-altitude VTOL air taxi safety or large-scale military cargo drops. Available architectures include steerable ram-air canopies, square, cruciform and round canopies, airbags and ballistic deployment systems, singly or combined.
How is reliability demonstrated?
Through testing in our facility and in the field. We produce the systems in our ISO 9001 / MIL-SPEC certified facility, with strict in-house testing and independent validation. They are not just lab-tested but field-proven worldwide, including in combat zones and ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) operations. The evidence is documented.
What payload range do the systems cover?
We cover payloads from 3 kg to 1,000 kg and above, from small drones up to UAV and cargo payloads, from lightweight tactical gear to heavy-duty military recovery systems. Which system carries the load follows from the payload together with deployment speed, permissible sink rate and operating environment.
Are ballistic systems available for VTOL platforms and air taxis?
Yes. Ballistic deployment systems are designed for ultra-fast, low-altitude emergencies and to meet the highest safety standards for human-rated certification. For passenger-carrying VTOLs, EASA SC-VTOL-01 and the FAA powered-lift regulations emphasise controlled emergency landing: steerable or guided systems are favoured there, and non-steerable ballistic systems may be considered inadequate for certification in these applications.
Define your project Bring the requirement.
Start a technical conversation