Coff, Quick response to your #1739 but don't wish to detract from AA62 tales. My V22 refresher training was completed satisfactory last night.
All our systems were mechanical, as KSim points out the disconnects used a pneumatic capsule timer. De Reefers and other things had clockwork mechanisms. EPERU used a copper shear wire and the steel wire rope pull cord to cut away the drogue. the drogue pulled the reefed mains off the ramp.
We did have some explosive protractors in EPERS used on PURIBAD but these went out once we got rid of the reefed 21 ft and used the 10 ft. The ALM pressed a tit on a box at FS245 that fired the EPERM to cut away the extractor leaving the platform in the aircraft.
US and French do use the FXC EPJD/EPJS which uses squibs to cut away some big parachutes. I worked on this for A400M but never saw it used other than in the US and France on C130 and C17. OCCAR were buying it for the Nations. It should have been properly integrated with the loadmasters workstation and automated taking its feed from the loadcells in the X locks. but this fell on stony ground.
Was also working on a water activated explosive parachute disconnect for use with boats (like some US Seat harness separation devices) Never saw this in service either.I hope it is now.
Our pneumatic timed disconnects were so unreliable many premature ejaculations and failures to ejaculate.
Happy to expand.