An airdrop is a type of airlift in which items including weapons, equipment, humanitarian aid or leaflets are delivered by military or civilian aircraft without their landing. Developed during World War II to resupply otherwise inaccessible troops, themselves often airborne forces, airdrops can also refer to the airborne assault itself.
A Kawasaki C-2 military transport aircraft conducting an airdrop demonstration over Miho Air Base, 2018
A C-17 Globemaster III airdropping humanitarian aid supplies after the 2010 Haiti earthquake
Freedrop packs being airdropped out of a C-130 Hercules
Gravity airdrop of CDS bundles from a C-17
An airlift is the organized delivery of supplies or personnel primarily via military transport aircraft.
People boarding a Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, a large military cargo aircraft
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain was used extensively during the Berlin airlift.
The Airbus A400M Atlas performs tactical as well as strategic airlift.
A RNLAF CH-47 Chinook demonstrating tactical airlift capabilities