Collins unveils oxygen system for high-altitude jumps

Collins Aerospace is introducing an oxygen supply system for use in high-altitude jumps by military parachutists.

The OXYJUMP NG system’s “breakthrough technology enhances mission capabilities with a longer gliding distance, improves jumper safety, is easy to use and contains significant size and weight advantages over legacy systems,” the company said in a news release this week.

Existing oxygen supply systems are limited in extended high-altitude operations, restricting the effectiveness and reach of parachute missions.

The oxygen pulse technology — already certified by one NATO country — provides a smaller, lighter-weight system that automatically adjusts oxygen levels to enable longer missions, according to a news release from Raytheon Technologies, the parent company of Collins Aerospace.

The system “gives allied armed forces the stealth, readiness and safety necessary to complete the most complex jumps on earth," said Brad Haselhorst, vice president and general manager of military, safety and cargo systems at Collins Aerospace.

The system includes an ergonomically designed mask to comfortably and securely fit against the face.

Collins Aerospace, the largest private employer in Cedar Rapids, has 73,000 employees worldwide and nearly 9,000 in Iowa.