The use of parachutes in a military context stretches back over three centuries, evolving from a daring experiment into a standardised element of modern warfare. The concept of jumping from great heights with a device to slow descent has long captured the imagination of inventors and soldiers alike. Someone Had to Go First The first documented parachute design is attributed to Sebastian Lenormand, a Frenchman who in 1783 demonstrated a rigid-framed parachute that allowed a person to descend s...
