SKAD – Survival Kit Air Droppable
The IrvinGQ SKAD can be utilised for water or land rescues and is readily adaptable to suit various life raft and survival equipment configurations

Long before a traditional helicopter or boat rescue team can reach the scene, survivors can succumb to hypothermia
Lightweight SKAD (LW SKAD)
The Lightweight SKAD is qualified on various aircraft to provide a long range, fast response Search and Rescue (SAR) capability. This aircraft mounted survival kit provides reliable and accurate aerial delivery of survival equipment, allowing squadrons to be entirely self-supporting in the event of the ejection of an aircrew. Survivors receive either a life raft system or temporary shelter along with enough provisions until rescue is organised.
Lightweight SKAD can be utilised for water or land rescues and is readily adaptable to suit various life raft and survival equipment configurations. The system can be supplied with or without survival kit items, enabling the user to utilise their current in-service equipment. It’s versatility and ability to reach survivors quickly makes it a vital piece of Search and Rescue and support equipment.
Heavyweight SKAD (HW SKAD)
Heavyweight SKAD is qualified on various aircraft to provide a long range, Search and Rescue (SAR) capability. It is an aircraft mounted survival kit that provides highly reliable and accurate aerial delivery of survival equipment. HW SKAD can be used for deployment to downed aircrew, small craft in distress, or remote disasters in the Arctic, desert, mountainous terrain or ocean.
HW SKAD can be used for Special Operations support, high speed airborne re-supply, and for potential rescue in case of ejection. It can be utilised for both water or land rescues, as it is readily adaptable to suit various life raft and survival equipment configurations. HW SKAD can be supplied with or without these items, enabling the user to utilise current in-service equipment.
Marine SKAD
Reliably and accurately deploys two inflatable life rafts and survival gear into the water. The LW/HW SKAD system is released from the aircraft by the pilot upwind of the survivors. A parachute system is initiated and the first life raft package is extracted from the container.
A buoyant rope is deployed and feeds out between the first and second life raft package. Once the container touches the water, the second life raft is expelled and inflated automatically upon water immersion. The inflated life rafts, which are still connected by the buoyant rope, drift towards the survivors in the water enabling them to reach either one of the life rafts or the buoyant rope
Once the survivors have boarded the life raft they can then utilise the survival equipment contained within the inflated life raft. Automatic deployment of life raft sea anchors and strobe lights enhance stability and visibility in poor weather conditions.
The Land SKAD variant provides maximum protection in hostile environments eg. Arctic, desert and mountainous regions.
Technical specifications
Lightweight SKAD
SPECIFICATION | MARINE | LAND |
Deployment Altitude ft | 100-500 | 500-1,000 |
Deployment Speed KIAS | 130 – 300 | 130 – 300 |
Carriage Speed KIAS | 350 | 350 |
Operational Weight | 325 lb | 325 lb |
Typical Payload Weight (subject to life raft/kit) | 200 lb | 200 lb |
Life Raft Separation (separation a function of release altitude) | 200 – 600 ft | N/A |
Survivor Capacity (Subject to content selection) | 12 Person | 12 Person |
Attachment Std. BRU | NATO 14 in. | |
Currently Qualified Aircraft | Fokker F-50 MR Fokker F-27 MR S-2 Tracker, F-18 / F-16 |
Heavyweight SKAD
SPECIFICATION | MARINE | LAND |
Deployment Altitude ft | 200-500 | 500-1,000 |
Deployment Speed KIAS | 170-220 | 170-220 |
Carriage Speed KIAS | 300 | 300 |
Operational Weight | 700 lb | 700 lb |
Typical Payload Weight (subject to life raft/kit) | 330 lb | 330 lb |
Life Raft Separation (separation a function of release altitude) | 350-700 ft | N/A |
Survivor Capacity (Subject to content selection) | 12 Person | 12 Person |
Attachment Std. BRU | NATO 14 in. | |
Currently Qualified Aircraft | PC-3 Orion |