A rapid deployment system has an inflatable landing tube with an inflatable exit slide coupled to an aircraft. Connectors couple the landing tube to the aircraft. Flexible retarders extend inward from the inner surface of the tube for retarding gravitational descent of cargo and/or personnel from the aircraft. The tube has tubular segments, with ribs and reinforcements, forming a continuous descent tube. A spine along the tube is retractable telescopically allowing for the tube to be retracted within the aircraft. The tube is connected to exterior edges of any exit port of the aircraft. A window coaming adapter is positioned around the exterior edges and a membrane extending between sides of the adapter expands with the landing tube as the landing tube is inflated. The membrane is of multiple layers with expansion cells between adjacent layers for allowing independent expansion of the layers. The entry port has a shield behind the membrane and connected to the aircraft for protecting the membrane. The shield has a couple of arms lying in a straight line when the landing tube is inactivated and separating and swinging outward from each other when the landing tube is activated. Another shield extends between edges of the exit port sandwiching the membrane between the two shields. An override lock on the one shield prevents that shield from opening automatically.