In Reply to: Why is it a thing of the past? posted by DSCBruin on March 30, 2026 at 13:36:46
Parachute drops typically relied on surprise to land forces intact, which is far more difficult to achieve with modern surveillance.
Today's air defenses are far more lethal, with MANPADS and other radar guided weapons on the ground making it difficult for large aircraft to make a low speed mid altitude drop.
Better infantry weapons make it more difficult for a paratrooper to survive the descent.
Finally, new technologies offer better methods of vertical envelopment. Helicopters and VSTOL craft are faster and more survivable, and allow troops to be inserted in organized, well equipped formations prepared to act instantly and take objectives, rather than spread all over and requiring time to form up and organize.