During the Second World War, the Soviet Union was the most prominent side to deploy paratroopers; a group of five regular Rifle infantry that would be flown in a Tu-16 "Badger" over a battlefield, and would leap out, using a parachute to land safely. Deploying reinforcements in this fashion was available to commanders on a regular schedule, maintained by airfields. Some irregular paradropping infantry were called in for mission specific purposes on both sides.