(The Gist of PIB) Canopy Severance System

(THE GIST OF PIB) Canopy Severance System

[July-2021]

Canopy Severance System

Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune along with High Energy Material Research Laboratory (HEMRL) has made a state-of-the-art Canopy Severance System (CSS), which provides a safe escape path for a pilot operating an aircraft in case of an emergency.

About:

The escape system has been designed for the indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas and Trainer Aircraft, HJT-36 Aircraft and HTT-40 Aircraft.
All modern aircraft are equipped with a Canopy Severance System (CSS) for a safe passage by pre-weakening/severing the canopy to facilitate the smooth escape of the pilot in a swift manner.
The Canopy Severance System (CSS) is a life-saving device that helps in the safe ejection of a fighter aircraft pilot in a time of distress.
Components:
CSS comprises two independent subsystems.
The first one being the In-flight Egress System (IES) for in-flight emergencies, which is integrated with the seat ejection operation and rescues the pilot in case of emergencies when the aircraft is in flight mode.
The second one is the Ground Egress System (GES) for on-ground emergencies, which rescues the pilot in case of ground emergencies without initiating the ejection seat.