An
airdrop is a type of
airlift, developed during
World War II to resupply otherwise inaccessible
troops, who themselves may have been
airborne forces. In some cases, it is used to refer to the airborne assault itself. Early airdrops were conducted by dropping or pushing padded bundles from aircraft. Later small crates with
parachutes were pushed out of the aircraft's side cargo doors. Later
cargo aircraft were designed with rear access ramps, lowerable in flight, that allowed large platforms to be rolled out the back.