Editing Paratrooper

{{Short description|Military parachutists functioning as part of an airborne }}
{{Citations needed|date=May 2024}}
{{Distinguish|Paramilitary|Paratroopa}}
{{other uses|Paratrooper (disambiguation)}}
[[File:U.S. Army, British and Italian paratroopers Pordenone, Italy 191203-A-JM436-0590C.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Paratroopers of the armies of [[British Army|Britain]], [[Italian Army|Italy]], [[Turkish Army|Turkey]] and the [[United States Army|United States]] during an exercise in [[Pordenone, Italy]], 2019.]]

A '''paratrooper''' or '''military parachutist''' is a [[soldier]] trained to conduct [[military operation]]s by [[parachuting]] directly into an [[area of operations]], usually as part of a large [[airborne forces]] unit. Traditionally paratroopers fight only as [[light infantry]] armed with [[small arms and light weapons]], although some paratroopers can also function as [[artillerymen]] or [[mechanized infantry]] by utilizing [[field gun]]s, [[infantry fighting vehicle]]s and [[light tank]]s that are often used in [[surprise attack]]s to seize strategic positions behind enemy lines such as [[airfield]]s, [[bridge]]s and major [[road]]s.<ref>{{cite book |title=A Dictionary of Aviation |first=David W. |last=Wragg |isbn=9780850451634 |edition=first |publisher=Osprey |year=1973 |page=209}}</ref>

== Overview ==
[[File:Defense.gov photo essay 071208-F-5888B-041.jpg|thumb|left|upright|U.S. Army paratroopers with the [[82nd Airborne Division]] parachute from a [[C-130 Hercules]] aircraft during Operation Toy Drop 2007 at [[Pope Air Force Base]].]]
Paratroopers jump out of [[aircraft]] and use parachutes to land safely on the ground. This is one of the three types of "forced entry" strategic techniques for entering a [[theater (warfare)|theater of war]]; the other two being by land and by water.  Their tactical advantage of entering the battlefield from the air is that they can attack areas not directly accessible by other transport.  The ability of [[airborne assault]] to enter the battlefield from any location allows paratroopers to evade emplaced [[fortification]]s that guard from attack from a specific direction.  The possible use of paratroopers also forces defenders to spread out to protect other areas which would otherwise be safe.  Another common use for paratroopers is to establish an [[Airhead (warfare)|airhead]] for landing other units, as at the [[Battle of Crete]].

[[File:Main-qimg-c3a71f48a69c1cc911c8b618ec435124.jpg|thumb|upright|Alessandro Tandura]]This doctrine was first practically applied to warfare by the Imperial German Army in 1916 then the [[Italy|Italians]] and the [[Soviet Union|Soviets]].{{citation needed|date=September 2017}}  The first known airborne commando operation in military history was conducted by Maximilian Hermann Richard Paschen von Cossel, then Leutnant of the Royal Prussian Army and his new pilot, then Royal Saxon Vice Sergeant Rudolf Windisch. Windisch flew the Roland Walfisch used for this purpose and set Cossel down in a wooded area behind the Russian front. During the night of October 2/3, 1916, Cossel blew up the Rowno–Brody railway line, 85 kilometers behind the eastern front, in several places. This was acknowledged in the army report of October 4, 1916: Eastern theater of war: ... Oberleutnant v. Cossel, who was set down from the plane southwest of Rowno by Vice Sergeant Windisch and picked up again after 24 hours, interrupted the Rowno-Brody railway line at several points by means of explosives. ... The First Quartermaster General. Ludendorff. According to Russian reports, however, the tracks were only slightly damaged in one place, so that a train just passing them could continue its journey unhindered. The second operational military parachute jump from {{convert|1600|feet|disp=flip}} was logged in the night of August 8—9 1918 by Italian assault troops. Arditi Lieutenant {{ill|Alessandro Tandura|it}} jumped from a [[Savoia-Pomilio SP.4]] aircraft of the {{ill|Gruppo speciale Aviazione I|it}} piloted by Canadian Major [[William George Barker]] and British Captain [[William Wedgwood Benn]] (both Royal Air Force pilots), when Tandura dropped behind Austro-Hungarian lines near [[Vittorio Veneto]] on a reconnaissance and sabotage mission, followed on later nights by Lts. Ferruccio Nicoloso and Pier Arrigo Barnaba.<ref name=politicalwingswilliamwedgwoodbennfirstviscount>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1HU7CQAAQBAJ&q=alessandro+tandura+first+paratrooper&pg=PT57|title=Political Wings: William Wedgewood Benn, First Viscount Stansgate|author=Alun Wyburn-Powell |year=2015|publisher=Pen and Sword Military|isbn=978-1473848146|page=248}}</ref>

The first extensive use of paratroopers ({{Lang|de|[[Fallschirmjäger (World War II)|Fallschirmjäger]]}}) was by the Germans during World War II. Later in the conflict paratroopers were used extensively by the [[Allies of World War II|Allied Forces]].  Cargo aircraft of the period (for example the German [[Junkers Ju 52]] and the American [[Douglas C-47 Skytrain|Douglas C-47 Skytrain/Dakota]]) being small, they rarely, if ever, jumped in groups much larger than 20 from one aircraft.  In English, this load of paratroopers is called a "stick", while any load of soldiers gathered for air movement is known as a "chalk".  The terms come from the common use of white chalk on the sides of aircraft and vehicles to mark and update numbers of personnel and equipment being emplaned.<ref name=valorwithoutarms>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V2xKQ2DRiN0C&pg=PA102
 |title=Valor Without Arms: A History of the 316th Troop Carrier Group, 1942–1945
 |author=Michael N. Ingrisano |year=2001|publisher=Merriam Press|isbn=978-1-57638-339-1|page=102}}</ref>

In World War II, paratroopers most often used [[parachute]]s of a circular design. These parachutes could be steered to a small degree by pulling on the risers (four straps connecting the paratrooper's harness to the connectors) and suspension lines which attach to the parachute canopy itself. German paratroopers, whose harnesses had only a single riser attached at the back, could not manipulate their parachutes in such a manner. Today, paratroopers still use round parachutes, or round parachutes modified so as to be more fully controlled with toggles. The parachutes are usually deployed by a [[static line]]. Mobility of the parachutes is often deliberately limited to prevent scattering of the troops when a large number parachute together.

Some military exhibition units and [[special forces]] units use [[ram-air parachute|"ram-air" parachutes]], which offer a high degree of maneuverability and are deployed manually (without a static line) from the desired altitude. Some use [[high-altitude military parachuting]], also deploying manually.

==Historical examples==
{{Main|List of paratrooper forces}}
Many countries have one or several paratrooper units, usually associated with the national Army or Air Force, but in some cases the Navy.

=== Argentina ===
[[File:Military parachuting in Argentina.jpg|thumb|Military exhibition]]

In 1944, Argentina became the second country on the continent of South America to use Paratroopers, after Peru. The first paratroopers were issued jump helmets similar to that used by the British at the time,<ref>{{cite web |title=Mº 44 "Circa" (E.T.A.) Paracaidista|url=http://www.cascoscoleccion.com/argentin/argpa.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301082430/http://www.cascoscoleccion.com/argentin/argpa.htm|archive-date=March 1, 2014}}</ref> with other equipment based on the {{lang|de|[[Fallschirmjäger]]}}.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/3702/1334146w3ftqbkb.jpg |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329192225/http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/3702/1334146w3ftqbkb.jpg |url-status=dead |title=2 helmets |archivedate=March 29, 2012 |website=img695.imageshack.us}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/5643/17233319ixvgx482.jpg |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726111255/http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/5643/17233319ixvgx482.jpg |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 26, 2011 |title=Paratrooper photograph |publisher=Img856.imageshack.us |access-date=2014-02-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://modelaria.blogspot.com/ |title=Modelaria |publisher=Modelaria.blogspot.com |date=2004-02-27 |access-date=2014-02-25}}</ref><ref>[http://exparacaistasea.blogcindario.com/2008/01/00014-escuela-de-paracaidismo-argentino-nuestra-cuna.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110901104940/http://exparacaistasea.blogcindario.com/2008/01/00014-escuela-de-paracaidismo-argentino-nuestra-cuna.html|date=September 1, 2011}}</ref><ref>Manual de informaciones, VOLUMEN II – ANO 1960 – Numero.</ref><ref>PARACAIDISTAS, General alemán
H. B. RAMCKE, Ediciones Almena 1978.</ref> The [[4th Parachute Brigade (Argentina)|4th Parachute Brigade]] (''4 Brigada Paracaidista'') is a unit of the [[Argentine Army]] specialised in airborne assault operations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ejercito.mil.ar/sitio/_noticias/todas.asp |title=Sitio Oficial del Ejército Argentino – Un Ejército presente |publisher=Ejercito.mil.ar |date=2014-02-03 |access-date=2014-02-25}}</ref> It is based in [[Córdoba, Argentina|Córdoba]], [[Córdoba Province (Argentina)|Córdoba Province]]. The [[Fuerza de Despliegue Rápido (Argentina)|''Fuerza de Despliegue Rápido'']] ("Rapid Deployment Force") is based on this unit. The members of the unit wear [[Red beret]]s (''Boina Rojas'') of the paratroopers with unit badges. As of 2022 it consists of:

* 4th Airborne Brigade HQ (Córdoba)
* 2nd Paratroopers Regiment "''General Balcarce''" (Córdoba)
* 14th Paratroopers Regiment (Córdoba)
* 601st Air Assault Regiment (Campo de Mayo)
* 4th Paratrooper Artillery Group (Córdoba)
* 4th Paratrooper Cavalry Scout Squadron (Córdoba)
* 4th Paratrooper Engineer Company (Córdoba)
* 4th Paratrooper Signal Company (Córdoba)
* 4th Paratrooper Jump Support Company (Córdoba)
* Logistic & Support Base "Córdoba" (Córdoba)

=== Australia ===
{{main|Airborne forces of Australia}}
Airborne forces raised by Australia have included a small number of conventional and special forces units. During the Second World War the [[Australian Army]] formed the [[1st Parachute Battalion (Australia)|1st Parachute Battalion]]; however, it did not see action. In the post-war period Australia's parachute capability was primarily maintained by special forces units. In the 1970s and 1980s a parachute infantry capability was revived, while a Parachute Battalion Group based on the [[3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment]] (3 RAR) was established in 1983.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Dennis|first1=Peter|last2=Grey|first2=Jeffrey|last3=Morris|first3=Ewan|last4=Prior|first4=Robin|last5=Bou|first5=Jean|title=The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Melbourne, Victoria|year=2008|edition=Second|isbn= 978-0-19-551784-2|page=410}}
</ref> However, following a reorganisation 3 RAR relinquished the parachute role in 2011, and this capability is now maintained by units of [[Special Operations Command (Australia)|Special Operations Command]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews/editions/1268/1268.pdf|title=Transfer of parachute capability announced|newspaper=Army: The Soldiers' Newspaper|edition=1268|date=29 September 2011|publisher=Department of Defence|location=Canberra|page=3|issn=0729-5685}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Scanlan |first=Paul |title=Is Parachute Capability Still Relevant to Modern Expeditionary Operations |journal=Australian Army Journal |date=2012 |volume=IX |issue=3 |pages=37–54 |url=https://www.army.gov.au/sites/g/files/net1846/f/aaj_2012_3.pdf |publisher=Land Warfare Studies Centre |location=Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |issn=1448-2843 |access-date=2017-07-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190415101751/https://www.army.gov.au/sites/g/files/net1846/f/aaj_2012_3.pdf |archive-date=2019-04-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===France===
[[File:French sas north africa 1943.jpg|left|thumb|Members of the [[1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment]] during the Second World War ([[Free French]] SAS)]]

Constant "Marin" Duclos was the first [[French people|French]] soldier to execute a parachute jump on November 17, 1915. He performed 23 test and exhibition parachute drops without problems to publicise the system and overcome the prejudice [[aviator]]s had for such life-saving equipment.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/project/live_tests.htm |title=Live Tests |publisher=Ejection-history.org.uk |access-date=2014-02-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150106001851/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/PROJECT/live_tests.htm |archive-date=2015-01-06 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1935, Captain Geille of the [[French Air Force]] created the Avignon-Pujaut Paratroopers Schools after he trained in [[Moscow]] at the Soviet Airborne Academy. From this, the French military created two combat units called ''Groupes d’Infanterie de l’Air''.

Following the [[Battle of France]], General [[Charles de Gaulle]] formed the 1re Compagnie d’Infanterie de l’Air in September 1940 from members of the [[Free French forces]] who had escaped to [[UK|Britain]]. It was transformed into the Compagnie de Chasseurs Parachutistes in October 1941. By June 1942, these units were fighting in Crete and [[Cyrenaica]] alongside the British [[Special Air Service|1st SAS Regiment]]. As part of the [[Special Air Service Troops|SAS Brigade]], two independent French SAS units were also created in addition to the other French Airborne units. They operated until 1945.

[[File:1er CEPML.jpg|thumb|Members of the [[1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company]] in Indochina]]
In May 1943, the ''1er Régiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes'' was created from the 601e Groupe d'Infanterie de l'Air in [[Morocco]] and the 3e and 4e Bataillons d'Infanterie de l'Air (BIA) in [[England]] in the [[Special Air Service]]. The 2e and 3e Régiments de Chasseurs Parachutistes followed in July 1944.
During the [[Operation Overlord|Invasion of Normandy]], French Airborne forces fought in [[Brittany]], ([[Operation Dingson]], [[Operation Samwest]]). The first Allied soldier to land in France was Free French SAS Captain Pierre Marienne who jumped into Brittany ([[Plumelec]], [[Morbihan]]) on June 5 with 17 [[Free French]] paratroopers. The first Allied soldier killed in the liberation of France was Free French SAS Corporal Emile Bouétard of the ''4e Bataillon d’Infanterie de l’Air'', also in Brittany in Plumelec: June 6, 0 h 40. Captain Pierre Marienne was killed on July 12 in Plumelec. French SAS paratroopers also fought in the [[Loire Valley]] in September 1944, in [[Belgium]] on January, and in [[Netherlands]] in April 1945. The 1er Régiment Parachutiste de Choc carried out operations in [[Operation Dragoon|Provence]].

[[File:VBL RHP Afghanistan.JPG|thumb|[[Véhicule Blindé Léger|VBL]] (armoured light vehicle) of the [[1st Parachute Hussar Regiment]] in Afghanistan]]

After [[World War II]], the post-war French military of the [[Fourth Republic (France)|Fourth Republic]] created several new airborne units. Among them were the ''Bataillon de Parachutistes Coloniaux'' (BPC) based in [[Arrondissement of Vannes|Vannes-Meucon]], the Metropolitan Paratroopers, and the Colonial Paratroopers and ''Bataillons Étrangers de Parachutistes'' ([[French Foreign Legion]]), which coexisted until 1954. During the [[First Indochina War]], a Bataillon Parachutiste Viet Nam was created (BPVN) in southeast Asia. In total, 150 different airborne operations took place in Indochina between 1945 and 1954. These included five major combat missions against the [[Viet Minh]] strongholds and areas of concentration.

When the French [[Operation Passage to Freedom|left Vietnam]] in 1954, all airborne battalions were upgraded to regiments over the next two years. Only the French Air Force's Commandos de l'Air (Air Force) were excluded. In 1956, the 2e Régiment de Parachutiste Coloniaux took part in the [[Suez Crisis]].

Next, the [[French Army]] regrouped all its Army Airborne regiments into two parachute divisions in 1956. The 10th parachute division (''10e Division Parachutiste'', 10e DP) came under the command of General [[Jacques Massu]] and General Henri Sauvagnac took over the 25th Parachute Division (''25e Division Parachutiste'', 25e DP). Again the Commandos de l'Air were kept under command of the Air Force.

By the late 1950s, in [[Algeria]], the [[National Liberation Front (Algeria)|FLN]] had launched its [[Algerian War|War of Independence]]. French paratroopers were used as counter insurgency units by the French Army. This was the first time in airborne operations troops used helicopters for [[air assault]] and [[fire support]].

But in the aftermath of the [[Algiers putsch]], the 10e and 25e Parachute divisions were disbanded and their regiments merged into the Light Intervention Division (''Division Légère d'Intervention''). This division became the 11th Parachute Division (''11e Division Parachutiste'', 11e DP) in 1971.

In the aftermath of the [[Cold War]], the French Army reorganised and the 11e DP become the 11th Parachute Brigade in 1999.

===Germany===
{{Main|Fallschirmjäger}}

The first known airborne commando operation in military history was conducted by Maximilian Hermann Richard Paschen von Cossel, then Leutnant of the Royal Prussian Army and his new pilot, then Royal Saxon Vice Sergeant Rudolf Windisch. Windisch flew the Roland Walfisch used for this purpose and set Cossel down in a wooded area behind the Russian front. During the night of October 2/3, 1916, Cossel blew up the Rowno–Brody railway line, 85 kilometers behind the eastern front, in several places. This was acknowledged in the army report of October 4, 1916: Eastern theater of war: ... Oberleutnant v. Cossel, who was set down from the plane southwest of Rowno by Vice Sergeant Windisch and picked up again after 24 hours, interrupted the Rowno-Brody railway line at several points by means of explosives. ... The First Quartermaster General. Ludendorff. According to Russian reports, however, the tracks were only slightly damaged in one place, so that a train just passing them could continue its journey unhindered.

[[Nazi Germany]]'s ''[[Luftwaffe]]'' {{Lang|de|[[Fallschirmjäger (World War II)|Fallschirmjäger]]}} units made the first [[airborne forces|airborne invasion]] when invading [[Denmark]] on April 9, 1940, as part of [[Operation Weserübung]]. In the early morning hours they attacked and took control of the [[Masnedø]] fort and [[Aalborg Air Base|Aalborg Airport]]. The Masnedø fort was positioned such as it guarded the [[Storstrøm Bridge]] between the islands of [[Falster]] and Masnedø – on the main road from the south to [[Copenhagen]]. Aalborg Airport played a key role acting as a refueling station for the [[Luftwaffe]] in the further invasion into [[Norway]]. In the same assault the bridges around [[Aalborg]] were taken. {{Lang|de|Fallschirmjäger|italic=no}} were also used in the Low Countries against the [[Battle of the Netherlands|Netherlands]], although their use against [[Battle for The Hague|The Hague]] was unsuccessful. Their most famous drop was the 1941 [[Battle of Crete]], though they suffered large casualties.
[[File:Wiesel 1 MK20 (1991) Bundeswehr Military History Museum, Dresden.jpg|thumb|left|Wiesel 1 MK20 (1991) of the ''Bundeswehr'' '' Fallschirmjägertruppe'' in the Military History Museum, Dresden]]
Hence later in the war, the [[1st Parachute Division (Germany)|7th Air Division's]] ''Fallschirmjäger'' assets were re-organised and used as the core of a new series of elite Luftwaffe Infantry divisions, numbered in a series beginning with the [[German 1st Fallschirmjäger Division|1st ''Fallschirmjäger'' Division]]. These formations were organised and equipped as [[motorized infantry|motorised infantry]] divisions, and often played a "fire brigade" role on the western front. Their constituents were often encountered on the battlefield as ad hoc [[Battlegroup (army)|battle groups]] (''[[Kampfgruppe]]n'') detached from a division or organised from miscellaneous available assets. In accord with standard German practice, these were called by their commander's name, such as ''Group Erdmann'' in France and the [[Ramcke Parachute Brigade|''Ramcke'' Parachute Brigade]] in [[Deutsches Afrikakorps|North Africa]].
[[File:2684754 A German Bundeswehr soldier of 4th Paratrooper Company, 31st Paratrooper Regiment 2016.jpg|thumb|A German ''Bundeswehr'' soldier of 4th Paratrooper Company, 31st Paratrooper Regiment in 2016]]

After mid-1944, ''Fallschirmjäger'' were no longer trained as paratroops owing to the realities of the strategic situation, but retained the ''Fallschirmjäger'' honorific. Near the end of the war, the series of new ''Fallschirmjäger'' divisions extended to over a dozen, with a concomitant reduction in quality in the higher-numbered units of the series. Among these divisions was the 9th ''Fallschirmjäger'' Division, which was the final parachute division to be raised by Germany during [[World War II]]. The Russian army destroyed the division during the [[Battle of Berlin]] in April 1945. The ''Fallschirmjäger'' were issued specialist weapons such as the [[FG 42]] and specially designed helmets.

In the modern [[Germany|German]] ''[[Bundeswehr]]'', the ''Fallschirmjägertruppe'' continue to form the core of special operations units. The division has two brigade equivalents and several independent companies and battalions. All told, about 10,000 troops served in that division in 2010, most of them support or logistics personnel. The Fallschirmjägertruppe currently uses the Wiesel Armoured Weapons Carrier (AWC), a light air-transportable [[armoured fighting vehicle]], more specifically a lightly armoured weapons carrier. It is quite similar to historical scouting [[tankette]]s in size, form and function, and is the only true modern tankette in use in Western Europe.<ref name=Tank>{{cite web |url=http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/West_Germany/Wiesel_AWC.php |title=Wiesel AWC |publisher=Tanks Encyclopedia |access-date=7 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608001141/http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/West_Germany/Wiesel_AWC.php |archive-date=8 June 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== India ===
{{Main|Parachute Regiment (India)}}

The Parachute Regiment is the Special Forces/airborne regiment of the Indian Army. The Regiment was formed in 1952

The regiment has a total of 14 regular, one [[Rashtriya Rifles]] and two [[Territorial Army (India)]] battalions; of the regular bns, five are Airborne battalions, while nine are Special Forces battalions. Formerly designated "Commando" units, they are now designated Special Forces:

Three of the Special Forces battalions were originally trained for use in certain environments; 1st Bn [strategic reserve], 9th Bn [mountain] and 10th Bn [desert].  Subsequently, the 21st Bn was raised for [[jungle warfare]].  Currently, all Special Forces battalions are cross trained for all environments.

[[Image:India Para2.jpg|thumb|right|Elite soldiers of Indian Army's 9 Para Commandos]]

The 8th Battalion became 16th Battalion, Mahar Regiment in 1976 before reconverting to the 12th Battalion, Mechanised Infantry Regiment. A sizable part of the battalion was retained in the airborne role for some time, forming the armoured element of the 50th (Independent) Parachute Brigade and equipped with their [[BMP-2]] Infantry Combat Vehicles.  But due to administrative and logistic reasons, it was discontinued and their role being taken over by the para battalions themselves, with a platoon strength of each battalion being trained and equipped for the mechanized role within the brigade.

The 50th (Independent) Parachute Brigade comprises the following units:
* 03 Airborne battalions
* 01 Parachute Field Regiment (Artillery) (9 & 17 Parachute Field Regiments in rotation)
* 60 Parachute Field Hospital
* 411 (Independent) Parachute Field Company (Bombay Sappers)
* 622 Parachute Composite Company (ASC)
* 50th (Independent) Parachute Brigade OFP (Ordnance)
* 50th (Independent) Parachute Brigade Signal Company
* 2 (Independent) Parachute Field Workshop Company (EME)
* 252 (Para) Air Defence Battery
( 50th (Independent) Parachute Brigade Provost Section.

The President's Body Guard also forms part of the brigade as the pathfinders company.

Three Airborne units in rotation form part of the Parachute Brigade alternatively serving their field tenures in counter-insurgency/high altitude areas.  One of the two field regiments (9 Para Fd Regt and 17 Para Fd Regt) also forms part of the brigade while the other serves out its field tenure on rotation.

The two Territorial Army battalions, 106th (Bangalore) and 116th (Deolali) form the airborne element of the Terriers (as the Territorial Army is popularly known) and are presently involved in COIN operations.

31st Battalion (Commando), Rashtriya Rifles, is also affiliated to the Parachute Regiment, for special operations conducted by the counter-insurgency force.

===Israel===
[[File:Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - First Operational Parachuting Drill in 15 Years (21).jpg|thumb|35th Brigade during training]]
[[File:Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - Paratrooper Bridage Welcomes Newest Members.jpg|thumb|Soldiers of the IDF's 35th Paratrooper Brigade throw away their berets at the end of military training ceremony]]
[[Israel Defense Forces]] (IDF) paratroopers have a history of carrying out special forces-style missions dating back to the 1950s. Paratrooper Brigade soldiers wear [[maroon berets]] with the infantry pin and reddish-brown boots. Distinct from all other soldiers of the IDF, Paratroopers wear a tunic and belt over the shirt. The IDF has one active paratrooper brigade and four reserve brigades consisting of personnel who served their mandatory time in the 35th brigade, and who are mostly relatively recently discharged, aside from officers. The IDF paratrooper brigades include:
* 35th [[Paratroopers Brigade]] - Has been active since 1955 and is part of [[Central Command (Israel)|Central Command]]
* [[55th Paratroopers Brigade|55th Paratroopers Brigade (Reserve)]]
* [[226th Paratroopers Brigade (Israel)|226th Paratroopers Brigade (Reserve)]]
* {{ill|551st Paratroopers Brigade (Reserve)|he|עוצבת חצי האש}}
* 646th Paratroopers Brigade (Reserve)

=== Italy ===
{{Main|Paracadutisti}}
[[Image:2june 2007 172.jpg|thumb|upright|Italian paratroopers of the [[Carabinieri Regiment "Tuscania"]]]]
[[File:Sky Soldiers , Italian allies conduct Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise in Pordenone 150114-A-MM054-020.jpg|thumb|Paratroopers of the [[Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore"]]]]

The first units of Italian parachutists were trained and formed shortly before the Second World War in [[RAF Castel Benito|Castel Benito]], near [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]] ([[Italian Libya|Libya]]), where the first Military school of Parachuting was located. They were two native battalions of the [[:it:Regio corpo truppe coloniali della Libia|Royal Libyan Troops Corps]] and two battalions of Italian troops, later joined by the [[Carabinieri Regiment "Tuscania"|Carabinieri Paratroopers Battalion]].

Moved back to Italy in 1941, the staff of the Castel Benito school was expanded into the Paratroopers School at [[Tarquinia]] and became a massive training program. In 1941, a Parachutist division was completed and was designated the [[185th Infantry Division "Folgore"]].  It was trained for the assault on [[Malta]] but was used instead in ground combat operations in the [[North African Campaign]], where it fought with great distinction during the [[Second battle of El Alamein]], effectively stalling the southern part of the Commonwealth attack until the general retreat of the Axis forces, when it was destroyed.

Another major paratroopers division was formed during 1942 (the 184th Infantry Division "Nembo") and a third had started forming in 1943 (the 184th Parachute Division "Ciclone"). After the [[Armistice of Cassibile|September 8th 1943 Armistice]], elements of the "Nembo" division joined the Allies against the germans as part of the [[Italian Liberation Corps]] (''Corpo Italiano di Liberazione'') and later as part of the [[Combat Group "Folgore"]] (''Gruppo di Combattimento "Folgore"'') of the [[Italian Co-belligerent Army]]. Other scattered elements joined the [[Italian Social Republic]], where they formed several Parachute units that continued to operate alongside the Germans against the Allies, fighting with distinction during the [[Battle of Anzio]].

After WW2, the [[Italian Army]] conscripted the [[Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore"]], currently the largest unit of paratroopers of the [[Italian Army]]. The Brigade operates as [[Light Infantry]] with airborne drop and air transport capability with secondary light mechanized capabilities, as part of the [[:it:Divisione "Vittorio Veneto"|"Vittorio Veneto" Division]], the on-call divisional HQ controlling the rapid reaction components of the [[Italian Army]].

In 1982 the Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore" landed in [[Beirut]] with the [[Multinational Force in Lebanon]]. In 1991, a Parachutist Tactical group was deployed to [[Kurdistan]]. Its mission was to provide humanitarian aid. From July 1992, the Brigade supplied personnel to the "Vespri Siciliani" and later "Strade Sicure" internal security operations. The Folgore participated in [[Operation Restore Hope]] in [[Somalia]] from 3 December 1992 to September 1993. Parts of the Brigade have been employed many times in the [[Balkans]] (IFOR/SFOR in [[Bosnia]] and KFOR in [[Kosovo]]), with MNF in [[Albania]] and [[INTERFET]] in [[East Timor]]. The Folgore participated from August 2005 to September 2005 in [[Operation Opera|Operation Babylon]] in [[Iraq]] and to December 2014 in [[Afghanistan]]. In August 2007, the Folgore took part in [[United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon]], under aegis of the [[United Nations]] (Resolution 1701), as a result of the war between [[Israel]] and [[Hezbollah]] of summer 2006. The Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore" is still mainly deployed abroad in international stabilization and peacekeeping operation, on rotation with the other elite units of the [[Italian Army]].

Other paratroopers units operate as part of the [[Army Special Forces Command (Italy)|Army Special Forces Command]] and of the other Special Forces components provided by the [[Comando Raggruppamento Subacquei e Incursori Teseo Tesei|Navy]], [[17th Raiders Wing|Air Force]] and [[1st Carabinieri Paratroopers Regiment "Tuscania"|Carabinieri]].

=== Japan ===
{{Main|Teishin Shudan|1st Airborne Brigade (Japan)}}

{{Nihongo|'''''Teishin Shudan'''''|挺進集団|Raiding Group}} was a [[Empire of Japan|Japanese]] [[special forces]]/[[airborne forces|airborne]] unit during [[World War II]]. The unit was a [[division (military)|division]]-level force, and was part of the [[Imperial Japanese Army Air Force]] (IJAAF).

It was commanded by a [[major general]], and was organized as follows:
* Headquarters company (220 personnel)
* Aviation brigade
* Raiding brigade
* Two glider infantry regiments
* Raiding artillery company (120 personnel)
* Raiding signals company (140 personnel)
* Raiding engineer company (250 personnel)

Notably, Japanese troopers fought in the [[Battle of Palembang]] and in the takeover of Celebes in the Dutch East Indies.

The 1st Airborne Brigade (Japanese: 第1空挺団, Dai-Ichi Kūtei Dan), established in 1958 is the [[Japan Ground Self-Defense Force|Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s]] elite airborne unit meant for anti-guerilla and commando operations. The unit is currently used for homeland defense and international combat operations as part of the JGSDF’s [[Ground Component Command]] (Japanese: 陸上総隊).

=== Peru ===
{{Main|Paratrooper Company|Sinchis}}

During the [[Ecuadorian–Peruvian War]], the Peruvian army had also established its own paratrooper unit and used it to great effect by seizing the Ecuadorian port city of [[Puerto Bolívar]], on July 27, 1941, marking the first time in the Americas that [[airborne forces|airborne]] troops were used in combat.<ref>The paratroopers were dropped from Italian [[Caproni Ca.111]] bomber-transports. [https://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http://www.arribasiemprearriba.com/Articulos/ParacaidismoEnElPeru.htm&sl=es&tl=en Skydiving in Peru] by General Alberto Thorndike Elmore</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oocities.org/es/conflictoperuecuador1941/fap-1941.html |title=El CAP en la guerra con el Ecuador en 1941 |publisher=Oocities.org |access-date=2014-02-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.arribasiemprearriba.com/Articulos/ParacaidismoEnElPeru.htm |title=El Paracaidismo en el Perú |publisher=Arribasiemprearriba.com |access-date=2014-02-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808022330/http://www.arribasiemprearriba.com/Articulos/ParacaidismoEnElPeru.htm |archive-date=2014-08-08 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1965, a paratrooper unit known as the [[Sinchis]] was established under the [[Civil Guard (Peru)|Civil Guard]] as a [[counterinsurgency]] and anti-narcotics force. With the dissolution of the Civil Guard in 1991, the unit became part of the [[National Police of Peru]].

===Poland===
[[Image:Sztandar 1 SBS.jpg|thumb|left|Polish paratrooper standard]]
{{main|1st Independent Parachute Brigade (Poland)}}

The '''1st (Polish) Independent Parachute Brigade''' was a parachute [[brigade]] under the command of [[Major general|Major General]] [[Stanisław Sosabowski]], created during the [[World War II|Second World War]] in Scotland in September 1941, with the exclusive mission to drop into [[occupied Poland]] in order to help liberate the country. The British government, however, pressured the Poles into allowing the unit to be used in the [[Western Front (World War II)|Western theatre of war]]. [[Operation Market Garden]] eventually saw the unit sent into action in support of the [[1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom)|British 1st Airborne Division]] at the [[Battle of Arnhem]] in 1944. The Poles were initially landed by glider from 18 September, whilst, due to bad weather over England, the parachute section of the Brigade was held up, and jumped on 21 September at [[Driel]] on the South bank of the Rhine. The Poles suffered significant casualties during the next few days of fighting, but still were able, by their presence, to cause around 2,500 German troops to be diverted to deal with them for fear of them supporting the remnants of 1st Airborne trapped over the lower Rhine in Oosterbeek.

The Brigade was originally trained close to [[RAF Ringway]] and later in [[Upper Largo]] in Scotland. It was finally based in Lincolnshire, close to [[RAF Spitalgate]] (Grantham) where it continued training until its eventual departure for Europe after D-Day.

The Brigade was formed by the Polish High Command in exile with the aim of it being used to support the [[Armia Krajowa|Polish resistance]] during the [[Operation Tempest|nationwide uprising]], a plan that encountered opposition from the British, who argued they would not be able to support it properly.<ref name="ZalogaHook1982">{{cite book|author1=Steven J. Zaloga|author2=Richard Hook|title=The Polish Army 1939–45|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AAdYFeW2fnoC&pg=PA21|access-date=6 May 2011|date=21 January 1982|publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=978-0-85045-417-8|page=21}}</ref> The pressure of the British government eventually caused the Poles to give in and agree to let the Brigade be used on the [[Western Front (WWII)|Western Front]].<ref name="ZalogaHook1982"/> On 6 June 1944 the unit, originally the only Polish unit directly subordinate to the Polish government in exile and thus independent of the British command, was transferred into the same command structure as all other [[Polish Forces in the West]]. It was slotted to take part in several operations after the [[invasion of Normandy]], but all of them were cancelled.<ref name="ZalogaHook1982"/> On 27 July, aware of the imminent [[Warsaw Uprising]], the [[Polish government in exile]] asked the British government for air support, including dropping the Brigade in the vicinity of Warsaw.<ref name="Ciechanowski2002">{{cite book|author=Jan M. Ciechanowski|title=The Warsaw Rising of 1944|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2kvvMiclgVMC&pg=PA67|access-date=6 May 2011|date=16 May 2002|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-89441-8|page=67}}</ref> This request was refused on the grounds of "operational considerations" and the "difficulties" in coordinating with the Soviet forces.<ref name="Ciechanowski2002"/> Eventually, the Brigade entered combat when it was dropped during [[Operation Market Garden]] in September 1944.<ref name="ZalogaHook1982"/>

[[File:Sosabowski Stanislaw3.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Stanisław Sosabowski]], the brigade's commander]]
During the operation, the Brigade's [[anti-tank]] battery went into [[Arnhem]] on the third day of the battle (19 September), supporting the British paratroopers at [[Oosterbeek]]. This left Sosabowski without any anti-tank capability. The light artillery battery was left behind in England due to a shortage of gliders. Owing to bad weather and a shortage of transport planes, the drop into [[Driel]] was delayed by two days, to 21 September. The British units which were supposed to cover the landing zone were in a bad situation and out of radio contact with the main Allied forces.<ref name="ZalogaHook1982"/> Finally, the 2nd Battalion, and elements of the 3rd Battalion, with support troops from the Brigade's Medical Company, Engineer Company and HQ Company, were dropped under German fire east of Driel. They overran Driel, after it was realised that the Heveadorp ferry had been destroyed. In Driel, the Polish paratroopers set up a defensive "hedgehog" position, from which over the next two nights further attempts were made to cross the Rhine.

The following day, the Poles were able to produce some makeshift boats and attempt a crossing. With great difficulty and under German fire from the heights of Westerbouwing on the north bank of the river, the 8th Parachute Company and, later, additional troops from 3rd Battalion, managed to cross the Rhine in two attempts. In total, about 200 Polish paratroopers made it across in two days, and were able to cover the subsequent withdrawal of the remnants of the [[British 1st Airborne Division]].

On 26 September 1944, the Brigade (now including the 1st Battalion and elements of the 3rd Battalion, who were parachuted near to Grave on 23 September) was ordered to march towards [[Nijmegen]]. The Brigade had lost 25% of its fighting strength, amounting to 590 casualties.<ref name="ZalogaHook1982"/>

In 1945, the Brigade was attached to the [[Polish 1st Armoured Division]] and undertook occupation duties in Northern Germany until it was disbanded on 30 June 1947. The majority of its soldiers chose to stay in exile rather than hazard returning to the [[History of Poland (1945–89)|new Communist Poland]].

===Portugal===
{{main|Portuguese Paratroopers}}

The first Portuguese paratroopers were part of a small [[commando]] unit, organized in [[Australia]], during World War II, with the objective to be dropped in the rearguard of the Japanese troops that were occupying [[Portuguese Timor]].

However, the first regular parachute unit was only created in 1955, by the [[Portuguese Air Force]], as the Parachute ''[[Caçadores]]'' Battalion. This unit adopted the [[green beret]], which has become, since then, the principal emblem of the Portuguese paratroopers. The Battalion was expanded to a Regiment and additional parachute battalions were created in the Portuguese overseas territories of [[Portuguese Angola|Angola]], [[Portuguese Mozambique|Mozambique]] and [[Portuguese Guinea|Guinea]]. These units were actively engaged in the [[Portuguese Colonial War]], from 1961 to 1975, being involved both in airborne and air assault operations. In addition to the regular units of paratroopers, in Mozambique were also created the [[Special Groups (Portugal)|Parachute Special Groups]], composed of African irregular troops who wore a [[maroon beret]].

With the end of the Colonial War, the Portuguese parachute troops were reorganized as the Paratroopers Corps, with the Light Parachute Brigade as its operational unit. In 1993, the Paratroopers Corps was transferred from the Portuguese Air Force to the [[Portuguese Army]] and become the Airborne Troops Command, with the Independent Airborne Brigade as its operational unit.

The reorganization of the Portuguese Army in 2006 caused the extinction of the Airborne Troops Command. The Independent Airborne Brigade was transformed in the present [[Portuguese Rapid Reaction Brigade|Rapid Reaction Brigade]], which now includes not only parachute troops but also [[Special Operations Troops Centre|special operations]] and [[Portuguese Army Commandos|commando troops]].

===Russia===
{{Main|Russian Airborne Forces}}
[[Image:Russian paratroopers 106th VDD.JPG|thumb|left|Russian paratroopers]]

[[Soviet Airborne Forces]] were first formed in the [[USSR|Soviet Union]] during the mid-1930s and were the first regular paratrooper units in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-03-11 |title=The First Sky Soldiers – Meet History's Earliest Airborne Units |url=https://militaryhistorynow.com/2013/03/11/sky-soldiers-historys-first-airborne-operations/ |access-date=2024-05-09 |website=MilitaryHistoryNow.com |language=en-US}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=May 2024|reason=Self-published text with no indication of author, peer-review, or reference material.}} They were massively expanded during [[World War II]], forming ten Airborne Corps plus numerous Independent Airborne Brigades, with most or all achieving [[Russian Guards|Guards]] status. The 9th Guards Army was eventually formed with three Guards Rifle Corps (37,38,39) of Airborne divisions. One of the new units was the [[Soviet 100th Guards Rifle Division|100th Airborne Division]]. At the end of the war they were reconstituted as Guards Rifle Divisions. They were later rebuilt during the [[Cold War]], eventually forming seven Airborne Divisions, an Independent Airborne regiment and sixteen Air Assault Brigades. These divisions were formed into their own VDV commands (Vozdushno-Desantnye Voyska) to give the Soviets a rapid strike force to spearhead strategic military operations.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, there has been a reduction in airborne divisions. Three [[Russian Airborne Troops|VDV]] divisions have been disbanded, as well as one brigade and a brigade-sized training centre. Nevertheless, Russian Airborne Troops are still the largest in the world.

VDV troops participated in the rapid deployment of Russian forces in and around [[Pristina International Airport Adem Jashari|Pristina Airport]] during the [[Kosovo War]]. They were also deployed in [[Chechnya]] as an active bridgehead for other forces to follow.

===Turkey===
{{main|1st Commando Brigade (Turkey)}}
[[File:Saber Junction 2019- 173rd Infantry Airborne Brigade Conducts Joint Forcible Entry Training (5764201).jpg|thumb|Paratroopers from the Italian Army and the Turkish Land Forces during Saber Junction 19]]
The Turkish Paratrooper Commando Battalion (Türk Paraşütçü Komando Tugayı) are an elite military unit within the [[Turkish Land Forces]], established in 1952 under NATO's influence as part of a broader effort to modernize and professionalize the Turkish military. This highly trained unit specializes in airborne operations, special warfare, and rapid deployment in combat situations. The unit played a significant role in the [[Cyprus War]] of 1974, where Turkish forces intervened in response to a Greek-led coup and the subsequent threat to the Turkish Cypriot population. Paratrooper Commandos were among the first to land on the island during the initial stages of Turkey's military intervention, executing strategic airborne assaults that were crucial in securing key areas.<ref>https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cyprus-greece-turkey-canada-peacekeeping-1.7269548 {{Bare URL inline|date=May 2025}}</ref>

===Ukraine===
{{Main | Ukrainian Air Assault Forces}}

The Ukrainian Air Assault Forces (Ukrainian: Десантно-штурмові війська України, romanized: Desantno-shturmovi viiska Ukrainy, pronounced [deˌsɑntno ʃtʊrmoˈvʲi ʋʲii̯ˈsʲka ʊkrɐˈjine], abbreviated as DShV or AAFU), known until 2017 as the Ukrainian Airmobile Forces are the airborne forces of Ukraine. After the Dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, several Ukraine-based units from the Soviet Airborne Forces were absorbed into the newly created Ukrainian Ground Forces, where they remained until 2016, when they separated to become one of five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Air Assault Forces are in constant combat readiness. They are the high-mobility branch of the military, responsible for air assaults and military parachuting operations. Before the Russo-Ukrainian War they were also the main forces sent by Ukraine to peacekeeping missions around the world. They are considered the elite of Ukraine's armed forces.

===United Kingdom===
The [[Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom)|Parachute Regiment]] has its origins in the elite force of [[British Commandos|Commandos]] set up by the [[British Army]] at the request of [[Winston Churchill]], the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]], during the initial phase of the [[World War II|Second World War]]. Churchill had been an enthusiast of the concept of airborne warfare since the [[World War I|First World War]], when he had proposed the creation of a force that might assault the German flanks deep behind the trenches of the static [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]].<ref>Reproduced in Blunt, Victor, ''The User of Air Power''. Military Service Publishing Company; Harrisburg, 1943: ppv-ix.</ref> In 1940 and in the aftermath of the [[Dunkirk evacuation]] and the [[Battle of France|Fall of France]], Churchill's interest was caught again by the idea of taking the fight back to Europe – the airborne was now a means "to be able to storm a series of water obstacles... everywhere from the Channel to the Mediterranean and in the East''".''<ref>Browning, F. "Airborne Forces", RUSI Journal 89, no. 556 (1944): pp350-361.</ref>
[[File:British Paratroops inside one of the C-47 transport aircraft.jpg|thumb|British paratroopers inside one of the C-47 transport aircraft, September 1944]]
Enthusiasts within the British armed forces were inspired in the creation of airborne forces (including the Parachute Regiment, [[Air Landing Regiment]], and the [[Glider Pilot Regiment]]) by the example of the German Luftwaffe's Fallschirmjäger, which had a major role in the invasions of Norway, and the Low Countries, particularly the attack on [[Fort Eben-Emael]] in Belgium, and a pivotal, but costly role in the [[Battle of Crete|invasion of Crete]]. From the perspective of others, however, the proposed airborne units had a key weakness: they required exactly the same resources as the new [[strategic bomber]] capability, another high priority, and would also compete with the badly stretched strategic air lift capability, essential to Churchill's strategy in the Far East.<ref>Slessor, John "Some Reflections on Airborne Forces" ''Army Quarterly'', 1948, p161.</ref> It took the continued reintervention of Churchill to ensure that sufficient aircraft were devoted to the airborne project to make it viable.

Britain's first airborne assault took place on February 10, 1941, when, what was then known as II [[Special Air Service]] (some 37 men of 500 trained in [[No. 2 Commando]] plus three Italian interpreters), parachuted into Italy to blow up an aqueduct in a daring raid named [[Operation Colossus]]. After the Battle of Crete, it was agreed that Britain would need many more paratroopers for similar operations. No 2 Commando were tasked with specialising in airborne assault and became the nucleus of the Parachute Regiment, becoming the [[1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment|1st Battalion]]. The larger scale drops in [[Allied invasion of Sicily|Sicily]] by the [[1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom)|1st Airborne Division]] in 1943 met with mixed success, and some commanders concluded the airborne experiment was a failure.<ref>Hand, Roger "Overlord and Operational Art" ''Military Review'', 1995:87</ref> Once again, it took the reintervention of senior British political leaders, looking ahead to the potential needs of [[Normandy landings|the invasion of France]], to continue the growth in British airborne resources.

Extensive successful drops were made during the [[Normandy landings]] by the [[6th Airborne Division (United Kingdom)|6th Airborne Division]] (see [[Operation Tonga]]), under the command of [[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major-General]] [[Richard Gale (British Army officer)|Richard Nelson Gale]], but [[Operation Market Garden]] to seize a corridor across the Netherlands as far as [[Battle of Arnhem|Arnhem]] with the 1st Airborne Division under [[Roy Urquhart]] were less successful, and proved, in the famous phrase, to be ''[[A Bridge Too Far (film)|A Bridge too far]]'' and the 1st Airborne was virtually destroyed. Later large scale drops, such as those on the Rhine under [[Operation Varsity]] and involving the British 6th and the [[17th Airborne Division (United States)|US 17th]], were successful, but less ambitious in their intent to seize ground. After the war, there was fierce debate within the cash-strapped British armed forces as to the value of airborne forces. Many noted the unique contribution they had made within the campaign.<ref>See for example, Gale, Richard, ''With the 6th Airborne Division in Normandy'', Sampson Low: London, 1948.</ref> Others pointed to the extreme costs involved and the need for strict prioritisation.<ref>Slessor, John "Some Reflections on Airborne Forces" ''Army Quarterly'', 1948, p164.</ref> During the debate, the contribution of British airborne forces in the [[South-East Asian theatre of World War II|Far Eastern theatres]] was perhaps underplayed,<ref>See for example their contribution to General Slim's [[William Slim, 1st Viscount Slim#Burma campaign|Burma campaign.]]</ref> to the long term detriment of the argument.

Several parachute squadrons of the [[Royal Air Force Regiment]] were formed in World War II in order to secure airfields for the [[RAF]] – this capability is currently operated by [[No. 2 Squadron RAF Regiment|II Squadron]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafregiment/roles/|title=RAF Regiment Roles|publisher=Raf.mod.uk|access-date=2014-02-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309182202/https://www.raf.mod.uk/rafregiment/roles/|archive-date=2014-03-09|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===United States===
[[Image:Paratroopers fsa 8e00223.jpg|thumb|left|WWII U.S. paratroopers]]
In 1930, the U.S. Army experimented with the concept of parachuting three-man heavy-machine-gun teams. Nothing came of these early experiments.<ref>{{cite book|author=Hearst Magazines|title=Popular Mechanics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TuQDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA566|date=April 1930|publisher=Hearst Magazines|page=566}}</ref>

[[File:Paratrooper Fort Belvoir.jpg|thumbnail|upright|Image representing a U.S. paratrooper at [[Fort Belvoir]], Virginia. Likely ca. 1940–1945]]
The first U.S. airborne unit began as a test platoon formed from part of the [[29th Infantry Regiment (United States)|29th Infantry Regiment]], in July 1940. The platoon leader was [[William T. Ryder|1st Lieutenant William T. Ryder]], who made the first jump on August 16, 1940, at Lawson Field, Fort Benning, Georgia, from a [[B-18 Bolo|B-18 bomber]]. He was immediately followed by Private William N. King, the first enlisted soldier to make a parachute jump.<ref>The first public reports in the United States of testing of the airborne principle by the U.S. Army with paratroopers was in a February 1929 issue of [http://www.popsci.com/results?query=When+the+Sky+Rains+Soldiers Popular Sciences page 55]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} in an article titled "When the Sky Rains Soldiers" which stated ''From three speeding planes over Brooks Fields, San Antonio, Texas, a machine gun, and its crew of three soldiers dropped to earth.'' It was strictly an ad hoc test of principle and not a recognized official airborne unit.</ref>

Although airborne units were not popular with the top U.S. Armed Forces commanders, President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] sponsored the concept, and Major General [[William C. Lee]] organized the first paratroop platoon. This led to the Provisional Parachute Group, and then the [[United States Army Airborne Command]]. General Lee was the first commander at the new parachute school at [[Fort Benning]], in west-central [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]].

The U.S. Armed Forces regards [[Major general (United States)|Major General]] [[William C. Lee]] as the father of the Airborne.

The first U.S. combat jump was near Oran, Algeria, in North Africa on November 8, 1942, conducted by elements of the [[509th Parachute Infantry Regiment|2nd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment]]. For the role of paratroopers in the [[Normandy Landings]] see [[American airborne landings in Normandy]].

'''U.S. Combat Jumps in WWII'''

{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Operation Torch]]
* [[Operation Husky]]
* [[Landing at Nadzab|Operation Postern]]
* [[Operation Avalanche]]
* [[Operation Overlord]]
* [[Battle of Noemfoor|Operation Cyclone]]
* [[Operation Dragoon]]
* [[Operation Market Garden]]
* [[Tagaytay#World War II|Operation Shoestring]]
* [[Battle of Corregidor (1945)|Operation Topside]]
* [[Raid at Los Baños]]
* [[Operation Varsity]]
* [[11th Airborne Division (United States)#Southern Luzon and Aparri|Operation Gypsy]]
{{div col end}}

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[List of paratrooper forces]]
* [[Airborne forces]]
* [[Air Assault Troops]]
* [[Military Free Fall]] – HALO/HAHO
* [[Jumpmaster]]
* [[Pathfinder (military)]]
* [[National Airborne Day]]
* [[Airdrop]]
* [[Parachuting]]
* [[Smokejumper]]
* [[Static line]]
* [[Treejumping]]
* [[Gryphon (parachute system)]]
* [[Parachute tower]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Paratroopers}}
*[http://www.cascoscoleccion.com/argentin/argpa.htm Argentine Paratroopers – Historical Equipment etc]
*[https://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.arribasiemprearriba.com%2FArticulos%2FParacaidismoEnElPeru.htm&sl=es&tl=en Peruvian Paratroopers in 1941 War between Peru and Ecuador – translated from Spanish to English]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100201044314/http://www.pathfindergroupuk.com/ Pathfinder Parachute Group], an international organization based in Europe, composed of active and retired paratroopers, participates in WW2 reenactment events as well as joint military jumps with foreign nations
*[http://www.european-paratrooper.de/ The European Military- Parachuting Association] (EMFV/EMPA/AEPM) is the first instance for active Military Parachuting in Europe.
*[http://www.airbornesappers.org.uk/ The Airborne Engineers Association] is a military association, which is a registered charity and is made up of serving and ex members of Airborne units of the British Corps of Royal Engineers.
*[http://www.armyparatrooper.org ArmyParatrooper.org] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100131070755/http://www.armyparatrooper.org/ |date=2010-01-31 }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20200426134805/http://www.sfg.be/ The Belgian Special Forces Group]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20111005005422/http://www.leapfrogs.navy.mil/ U.S. Navy Parachute Team ("Leapfrogs")]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20121006113843/http://www.popsci.com/archive-viewer?id=xiADAAAAMBAJ&pg=128&query=Volume+146 How Armies Hit The Silk - J. Peck ''Popular Science'', June 1945]

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