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Australian Defence Force personnel have competed against US Army and international paratroopers during the Leapfest 2025 international competition.
The paratrooper competition, designed to promote high-level technical training, is hosted by the 56th Troop Command of the Rhode Island Army National Guard during August and is considered to be the largest and oldest global static line parachute training event.
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During the competition, competing paratroopers jump from a CH-47 Chinook helicopter and use MC-6 parachutes with steerable canopies to navigate towards designated target areas within the drop zone.
“The competition is both individual and team-based, with the fastest combined times determining the winners,” according to information published by the US Department of Defense.
“However, the greater purpose of Leapfest is to promote the camaraderie and esprit de corps of the airborne soldier through international competition.
“Performances were judged on how quickly they could land, their execution of a parachute landing fall and their ability to land at the specific target area.”
US teams featured strongly in the best Team Jump Times category, with teams from the US, Canada, Hungary, Poland and the United Kingdom taking out spots in the top 10. A team from the Australian Defence Force Parachuting School was ranked as the 33rd team out of 53.
Other teams included those from Portugal, Oman, Germany, India, the Czech Republic, Mexico, Armenia, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Egypt, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.
The US also took the top spots for the Individual Jump Times category, with the top 10 spots going to the US, Canada, Hungary, Mexico and Belgium.
Australian personnel from the ADPS placed as 24th, 41st, 78th and 200th out of 212 competing soldiers.
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