What began as a grassroots initiative by two RAF officers has become a globally adopted operational tool, transforming how high-altitude parachuting missions are planned and executed.
While serving within the Royal Air Force’s Air Mobility Force, Squadron Leader Pete Kennedy and Flight Lieutenant Dan Leedham identified a critical operational gap: the need for a faster, more accurate, and user-friendly method to calculate parachute release points for high-altitude jumps. In response, they built the first versions of what would become Ballistic, an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) application purpose-built for aircrew, by aircrew.
After initial success and approval for operational use within the RAF’s Air Mobility Force, it became clear that sustaining and scaling the capability would require dedicated support. RAF Digital's Software Factory Appivate stepped in to develop the project, working closely with Pete, Dan, and frontline aircrew to iteratively refine and expand the application. Through a process of spiral development—directly informed by operational users—Ballistic matured into a robust capability used across multiple aircraft types and mission profiles.
Ballistic enables crews to calculate precisely where in the sky to release parachutists during high-altitude drops, regardless of the aircraft type. This flexibility is essential for modern airborne operations, which demand both precision and adaptability under varying tactical and environmental conditions.
“This is grassroots innovation not only crossing the ‘valley of death’, but spanning the globe which I’m extremely proud of the team at RAF Digital for. It shows what’s possible when we give our people the tools and empowerment to create capability, not just bolt it on from the outside.”
Squadron Leader Kennedy
The tool’s success has now extended beyond the UK. In June 2025, the Royal New Zealand Air Force signed a two-year contract for Ballistic, integrating the capability into their newly introduced C-130J fleet. This partnership marks not just an export win, but a deepening of allied interoperability between the UK and New Zealand.
"Through innovation, collaboration, and creativity, frontline Operator’s supported by RAF Digital’s Appivate software delivery team have delivered a cutting-edge digital capability into Air. Today, it is transforming operations and setting new standards of accuracy for high-altitude parachute insertions.
The benefit that BALLISTIC has delivered is receiving significant interest from our Allies. This is a testament to the power of digitalisation – to transform how we operate, and to project the RAF’s influence around the world."
Dr Arif Mustafa
RAF's Director Digital and Chief Information Officer
Ballistic is just one example of the operationally focused software emerging from RAF Digital—a growing ecosystem where frontline insight meets digital expertise to create agile, effective solutions for the RAF and its allies.