Paratrooper (Civ4)/Civilopedia

Infantry trained in the subtle art of leaping out of aircraft, Paratroopers have been surprising and encircling their opponents since World War II. While the concept of airborne troops had been suggested as far back as Benjamin Franklin (although his troopers were attached to balloons rather than parachutes), the Second World War became the first proving ground for the skyborne infantry. While the ability of Paratroopers to enter otherwise inaccessible territory gave the troops an invaluable tactical advantage, the use of Paratroopers in conjunction with regular troops provided the added bonus of confusion - dug-in troops were often unable to tell if the Paratroopers were the main opposing force.
While massive deployments of Paratroopers are no longer considered tactically sound, new forms of drops, such as the HALO (High Altitude-Low Opening), have developed, allowing small groups of soldiers - usually special forces - to be placed precisely behind enemy lines with almost no radar signature.