List of paratrooper forces

The following is a list, albeit incomplete, of paratrooper forces from around the world.

Argentina

• Argentine Army
  • 4th Parachute Brigade (Brigada Paracaidista IV)^[1]

Australia

• Australian Army
  • Special Air Service Regiment
  • 1st Commando Regiment
  • 2nd Commando Regiment

Austria

• Austrian Federal Armed Forces
  • 7th Infantry Brigade
    • Jägerbataillon 25^[2][3]

Bangladesh

• Bangladesh Army 1st Paracommando Battalion
• Special Warfare Diving And Salvage SWADS

Belgium

• Belgian Land Component
  • Light Brigade
    • 2nd Commando Battalion
    • 3rd Paratroop Battalion

Brazil

Brazilian Army

• Parachute Infantry Brigade (Brigada de Infantaria Pára-quedista)
• Special Operations Command (Comando de Operações Especiais)

Brazilian Air Force

• Airborne Rescue Squadron (Esquadrão Aeroterrestre de Salvamento (EAS))

Brazilian Navy

• Combat Divers Group (Grupamento de Mergulhadores de Combate), subordinated to Submarine Fleet Command
• Amphibious Commandos (Comandos Anfíbios), subordinated to Marine Corps General Command

Bulgaria

• Bulgarian Army
  • 68th Special Forces Brigade (68 Бригада Специални Сили)

Canada

• Canadian Army
  • B Company 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry^[4]
  • M Company 3rd Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment
  • A Company 3rd Battalion Royal 22^e Régiment
  • Para Company The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada^[5]
  • E Troop, E Battery, 2 Royal Canadian Horse Artillery

Chile

• Chilean Army
  • 1st Parachute Battalion "Pelantaru" (1^o Batallón de Paracaidistas "Pelantaru")

China

• People's Liberation Army Ground Force
  • more than seven Special Operation Teams
• People's Liberation Army Air Force
  • 15th Airborne Corps Wuhan
    • Airborne Special Operation Team of 15th Corps
    • 43rd Airborne Division, Kaifeng
      • 127th, 128th, 129th Para regt and one light arty regt
    • 44th Airborne Division, Yingshan
      • 130th, 131st, 132nd Para regt and one light arty regt
    • 45th Airborne Division, Huangpi
      • 133rd, 134th, 135th Para regt and one light arty regt

Croatia

• Special Operations Battalion (Croatia)
  • 1st Airborne Company
• Military Intelligence Battalion (also use parachutes)
• Special Military Police Company (also use parachutes)

Czech Republic

• Czech Army
  • 4th Rapid Reaction Brigade
    • 43rd Airborne Battalion in Chrudim

Egypt

• Egyptian Army
  • 222nd Airborne Brigade
  • 414th Airborne Brigade

Finland

• Finnish Army
  • Utti Jaeger Regiment

France

French Army (Armee de Terre):

• French Army Special Forces Brigade: Army component of Special Operations Command (France):
  • 1er RPIMa: SAS Regiment
  • 13e RDP: Long Range Recon.
• 11th Parachute Brigade:
  • Commando Parachute Group: Pathfinders and Recon Group.
• 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade (France):
  • Commando Mountain Group (Groupement de commandos de montagne): Recon. Group.
• Centre national d'entraînement commando (CNEC). National Commando training Center: Similar to US Ranger School.

French Foreign Legion (La Légion Etrangère) :

• 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment: Commando Parachute Group
• 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment : DINOPS
• 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment : DINOPS

French Navy (Marine Nationale):

• Commandos Marine: Navy component of Special Operations Command (France):
  • Commando Hubert (also named Commando d'Action Sous-Marine Hubert, CASM, "underwater operations commando"): Submarine action (combat divers).
  • Commando Jaubert: Assault at sea, exfiltration, close quarters battle at sea.
  • Commando Trepel: Assault at sea, exfiltration.
  • Commando de Penfentenyo: Reconnaissance, Intelligence Operations (recon swimmers)
  • Commando de Montfort: Long range neutralisation (missile launchers, light mortars, heavy sniper rifles), fire support designation
  • Commando Kieffer: C3I, military dogs

French Air Force (Armee de L'Air):

• Commando parachutiste de l'Air n°10 (CPA 10): Air Force component of Special Operations Command (France):
• Fusiliers Commandos de l'Air
  • (CPA 20): Bases Protection Squads
  • (CPA 30): RESCO

National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale):

• National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN): performs counter-terrorist and hostage rescue missions in France or anywhere else in the world

Directorate-General for External Security: Division Action:

• The Centre Parachutiste d'Entraînement Spécialisé (CPES, "Paratrooper Specialised Training Centre") in Cercottes for clandestine operations
• The Centre Parachutiste d'Instruction Spécialisée (CPIS, "Paratrooper Specialised Instruction Centre") in Perpignan for special commandos.
• The Centre Parachutiste d'Entraînement aux Opérations Maritimes (CPEOM, "Paratrooper Training Centre for Naval Operations") in Quelern, which instructs combat divers.

Gabon

• 1^er Régiment de Parachutistes Gabonais(1er RPG)

Germany

See article Fallschirmjager

• German Federal Army
  • 1st Airborne Brigade

Greece

• Hellenic Army
  • 1st Raider/Paratrooper Brigade (1η ΤΑΞΚΔ-ΑΛ), based at Rentina, Macedonia

Honduras

• 2do batallon de infanteria aerotransportada (2nd airborne battalion)

Hungary

• HDF 34th ’László Bercsényi’ Special Operations Battalion^[6]
• HDF 25/88th Light Mixed Battalion^[7]
• HDF 5/24th 'Gergely Bornemissza' Reconnaissance Battalion^[8]

India

• Indian Army
  • Parachute Regiment (India)
  • 50th Parachute Brigade (India)

Indonesia

• Indonesian Army

Because Indonesian Airborne Paratrooper Battalions (Yonif Linud) are in part of the Kostrad infantry division, they dont represent themselves as an independent regiment or corps, but they are within the internal scope of the strategic army command (Kostrad) organization.

• • Brigade Infanteri Lintas Udara 17/Kujang I (17th Airborne Infantry Brigade)
  • Brigade Infanteri Lintas Udara 18/Trisula (18th Airborne Infantry Brigade)
  • Brigade Infanteri Lintas Udara 3/Tri Budhi Sakti (3rd Airborne Infantry Brigade)
• Indonesian Air Force
  • Indonesian Air Force Special Forces (Paskhas)

Iran

Iranian Army

• 55th Parachute Division

Ireland

Defence Forces (Irish Army)

• Army Ranger Wing (ARW)^[9][10]

Israel

98th Paratroopers Division (Reserve)

• 35th Paratroopers Brigade (Regular) "Hativat HaTzanhanim"
• 551st Paratroopers Brigade (Reserve) "Hetzei Ha-Esh"/"Arrows of Fire"
• 623rd Paratroopers Brigade (Reserve) "Hod Ha-Hanit"/"Head of the Spear"
• Special Forces Deep Penetration Demolition Unit "Maglan"/"Ibis"
• Unit 7298 Special Forces Anti-Aircraft Parachuting Unit "YANMAM"

162nd Armored Division

• 933rd Infantry Brigade "Nahal"
  • 50th Battalion

Other units

• Unit 669
• Unit Yanmam
• Shaldag Unit
• Sayeret Matkal
• Shayetet 13
• Airborne supply and training center
  • Airborne school

Italy

Italian paratroopers are called Paracadutisti.

• Carabinieri
  • 1st Carabinieri Parachute Regiment
  • Special Intervention Group - Special Forces
• Italian Army
  • Folgore Parachute Brigade
    • 183th Parachute Regiment "Nembo"
    • 186th Parachute Regiment "Folgore"
    • 187th Parachute Regiment "Folgore"
    • 3th Regiment "Savoia Cavalleria"
    • 8th Parachute Assault Engineer Regiment (Italy)
    • 185th Artillery Paratroopers Regiment "Folgore"
  • 9th Parachute Assault Regiment - Army Special Forces
  • 4th Alpini Parachutist Regiment (Ranger)
  • 185th Parachute Regiment reconnaissance acquisition targets "Folgore"
• Italian Navy
  • Undersea Raiders Group "Teseo Tesei" - Navy Special Forces. All personnel of its Operational Raiders Group is parachute-trained.
• Italian Air Force
  • 17º Stormo Incursori - Air Force Special Forces. All personnel of its Operational Raiders Group is parachute-trained.

Japan

• 1st Airborne Brigade (Japan)

Jordan

• Joint Special Operations Command - JSOC
  • 81st Airborne Battalion
  • 91st Airborne Orientation Battalion

Royal Jordanian Army

• 30th Hussein Bin Ali Special Mission Brigade
  • 15th Khalid Bin Al-Waleed Special Mission Battalion (Para)
  • 16th King Faisal Special MissionBattalion (Para)
  • 20th Tariq Bin Zyad Special Mission Battalion (Para)

Malaysia

• Malaysian Army
  • 10th Brigade (Para)

Mongolia

• Mongolian Army
  • 084th Special Task Battalion
  • 337th Airborne Division

Mexico

• Mexican Air Force
  • Brigada de Fusileros Paracaidistas

Nepal

• Nepalese Army
  • Shree Bhairavnath Battalion 1910 - (Parachute Battalion)

Netherlands

• Royal Netherlands Army
  • 11 Luchtmobiele Brigade

• Royal Netherlands Marine Corps
  • 11 and 23 Raiding Squadrons

Poland

• Polish Land Forces
  • 1st Independent Parachute Brigade (World War 2)
  • 6th Paratrooper Brigade.

Portugal

Portuguese Army

• Paratrooper Battalions of the Portuguese Rapid Reaction Brigade.

Rhodesia

• Rhodesian Security Forces (disbanded 1980)
  • Rhodesian African Rifles (from 1977)
  • Rhodesian Light Infantry (from 1977)
  • Rhodesian Special Air Service

Russia

Russian armed forces

• Russian Airborne Troops
  • 45th Specnaz Regiment
  • 98th Guards Airborne Division
  • 106th Guards Airborne Division
  • 11th Guards Airborne Brigade
  • 31st Guards Airborne Brigade
  • 56th Airborne Brigade
  • 83rd Airborne Brigade
  • 242nd Training Centre
  • 1182nd Guards Artillery Division
  • 38th Signal Regiment
• Russian Navy
  • Russian Marines
    • 336th Guards Marine Brigade
      • 879th Desant Battalion
    • 61st Marine Brigade
      • 876th Desant Battalion
    • 810th Marine Brigade
      • 881st Desant Battalion

Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD)

• Dzerzhinsky Division (O.D.O.N.)
  • 604th Special Purpose Center

Various Specnaz units

Serbia

• Serbian Army
  • 63rd Paratroop Battalion

South Africa

• South African Army
  • South African Special Forces Brigade
  • 44 Parachute Brigade - Predecessor to 44 Parachute Regiment
    • 1 Parachute Battalion
    • 44 Pathfinder Platoon - Pathfinders
    • 18 Light Regiment (Airborne Artillery)
  • 44 Parachute Regiment - Current

Spain

• Spanish Army
  • BRIPAC
• Spanish Air Force
  • Escuadrón de Apoyo al Despliegue Aéreo - Air Deployment and Support Squadron (EADA)
  • Escuadrón de Zapadores Paracaidistas - Parachute Sapper Squadron (EZAPAC)

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Army

• • Commando Regiment

Sri Lanka Air Force

• • SLAF Regiment

Sweden

• Swedish Army
  • Fallskärmsjägarna (Parachute Rangers)
  • Särskilda operationsgruppen Special Operations Group

Switzerland

• Swiss Army
  • Armeeaufklärungsdetachement (AAD) (Army Reconnaissance Group)
  • Fallschirmaufklärer Kp 17 (Parachute Reconnaissance Company 17)

Taiwan (Republic of China)

• Republic of China Army
  • Aviation and Special Forces Command (航空特戰司令部)
    • 3 Air Cavalry/Airborne brigades

Thailand

• Royal Thai Army
  • 31st Infantry Regiment (Thailand)

Turkey

• Turkish Army
  • 1. Kayseri Hava İndirme Tugayı
• Turkish Air Force
  • AKİP
• Turkish Navy
  • Su Altı Taarruz

Ukraine

• Ukrainian Ground Forces
  • Ukrainian Airmobile Forces^[11]
    • 25th Airborne Brigade (Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Operation Command South )
    • 95th Airmobile Brigade (Zhytomyr Oblast, Operation Command North)
    • 79th Airmobile Brigade (Mykolaiv Oblast, subordinated to Ukrainian General Staff directly)
    • 80th Airmobile Brigade (Lviv Oblast, Operation Command West)
    • 81st Airmobile Brigade
    • 28th Training Battalion (Chernihiv Oblast, 169th Ground Forces Training Center)
• Border Guard Service
  • Mobile Border Guard Detachment
    • 23rd Airmobile Detachment (disbanded)

United Kingdom

• Special Boat Service (Her Majesty's Naval Service)^[12]
• Submarine Parachute Assistance Group (Royal Navy, Her Majesty's Naval Service)^[13]
• Fleet Diving Unit 1 (Fleet Diving Group, Fleet Diving Squadron, Royal Navy, Her Majesty's Naval Service)^[14]
• Brigade Patrol Troop (3 Commando Brigade, Royal Marine Corps, Her Majesty's Naval Service)^[15]
• Reconnaissance Troop (40 Commando, 3 Commando Brigade, Royal Marine Corps, Her Majesty's Naval Service)
• Reconnaissance Troop (42 Commando, 3 Commando Brigade, Royal Marine Corps, Her Majesty's Naval Service)
• Reconnaissance Troop (45 Commando, 3 Commando Brigade, Royal Marine Corps, Her Majesty's Naval Service)
• 22 Special Air Service Regiment (British Army)^[16]
• 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment (British Army)^[17]
• 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment (16 Air Assault Brigade, British Army)^[18]
• 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment (16 Air Assault Brigade, British Army)^[18]
• 4th Battalion, Parachute Regiment (16 Air Assault Brigade, British Army)^[18]
• Pathfinder Platoon (16 Air Assault Brigade, British Army)^[18]
• 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery (16 Air Assault Brigade, British Army)^[19]
• 148 Commando Battery (29 Commando Regiment, Royal Regiment of Artillery, British Army)^[20]
• 23 Engineer Regiment (Corps of Royal Engineers, British Army)^[21]
• 299 Parachute Squadron (Corps of Royal Engineers, British Army)^[21]
• 144 Parachute Medical Squadron (Royal Army Medical Corps)
• 216 Parachute Signal Squadron (Royal Corp of Signals)
• 264 SAS Signal Squadron (Royal Corp of Signals)
• LEWT troop 14 Signal regiment EW (Royal Corp of Signals)
• 2 Squadron (RAF Regiment, Royal Air Force)^[22]

United States

• United States Army
  • United States Army Special Forces
    • 1st Special Forces Group (United States)
    • 3rd Special Forces Group (United States)
    • 5th Special Forces Group (United States)
    • 7th Special Forces Group (United States)
    • 10th Special Forces Group (United States)
    • 19th Special Forces Group (United States)
    • 20th Special Forces Group (United States)
  • Special Operations Team-Alpha (SOT-A)
  • Military Information Support Command
    • 4th Psychological Operations Group (United States)
      • 6th Psychological Operations Battalion (USEUCOM)
      • 7th Psychological Operations Battalion (USAFRICOM)
      • 8th Psychological Operations Battalion (USCENTCOM)
    • 8th Psychological Operations Group (United States)
      • 1st Psychological Operations Battalion (USSOUTHCOM)
      • 5th Psychological Operations Battalion (USPACOM)
      • 9th Psychological Operations Battalion (Tactical)
  • 75th Ranger Regiment
  • XVIII Airborne Corps
    • 82nd Airborne Division
  • 101st Airborne Division
    • 20th Engineer Brigade
  • 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division
  • 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team
  • US Army Long Range Surveillance Companies
  • US Army Pathfinders Companies
  • 28th Ordnance Company (EOD)(Airborne)

• United States Marine Corps
  • ANGLICO
  • Radio Recon Platoons
  • Division Reconnaissance Battalions
  • Force Reconnaissance Companies
  • MARSOC

• United States Air Force
  • 24th Special Operations Wing
    • 720th Special Tactics Group
      • 17th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 320th & 321st Special Tactics Squadrons
  • 93d Air-Ground Operations Wing
    • 18th Air Support Operations Group This unit comprises five squadrons of which only the 14th Air Support Operations Squadron is airborne-trained.
      • 14th Air Support Operations Squadron (14th ASOS)
      • 15th Air Support Operations Squadron (15th ASOS)
      • 18th Weather Squadron (18th WS)
      • 19th Air Support Operations Squadron (19th ASOS)
      • 20th Air Support Operations Squadron (20th ASOS)
    • 820th Base Defense Group
  • 435th Security Forces Squadron
  • 820th Red Horse Squadron [only RHS with this capability]
  • U.S. Air Force SERE Specialists

Joint Service Units

• Joint Communications Unit (JCU)
• Joint Communications Support Element (JCSE)
  • Headquarters Support Squadron (HSS)
  • Communications Support Detachment (CSD)
  • 1st Joint Communications Squadron (JCS)
  • 2nd Joint Communications Squadron (JCS)
  • 3rd Joint Communications Squadron (JCS)
  • 4th Joint Communications Squadron (JCS)
  • 224th Joint Communications Support Squadron (JCSS)
  • 290th Joint Communications Support Squadron (JCSS)

Venezuela

• Venezuelan Army
  • 42nd Infantry Paratrooper Brigade (42^a Brigada Paracaidista de Infanteria)

Vietnam

• Vietnam People's Air Force
  • Vietnamese Paratroops

References