It specialises in the design, manufacture and supply of a range of parachutes and emergency, rescue and survival equipment for both the military and civilian markets.

In the postwar period, both companies continued to advance their products into new fields, including their incorporation into ejector seats, the recovery of space vehicles, brake parachute, and the aerial delivery of very large payloads.

[4] One high-profile example of its use was during the D-Day Landings, the delivery of the advance airborne units over Normandy made extensive use of the X-Type parachute assembly.

[3] Both the capability and range of uses for parachutes expanded during the Cold War period, particularly into non-personnel applications, such as the safe recovery of space vehicles and unmanned aircraft.

[7] Another market for their products was as brake parachutes; Irvin has supplied these for numerous RAF aircraft, including the BAE Systems Hawk, SEPECAT Jaguar and Eurofighter Typhoon.

[4] The United States Air Force (USAF) also adopted the company's braking parachutes for their aircraft, including the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird; NASA also used them on its Space Shuttle.

[4] In December 2002, the company revealed a £5 million investment programme which included the creation of around 200 jobs, in addition to the relocation of its main UK production site from Blackmill in Bridgend to neighbouring Llangeinor.

[9] During September 2006, representatives from the company formed part of a trade mission to China led by the then First Minister for Wales Rhodri Morgan.