A supply drop (airdrop) is a parachuted crate dropped by a cargo plane, either on a random server schedule or on the spot where someone throws a Supply Signal. You cannot craft a Supply Signal; it only comes from loot, mostly elite crates. The crate itself is ammo-heavy, always has two Basic Blueprint Fragments, and often holds mid-tier guns like the Thompson, Custom SMG or SAR.
How to get a Supply Signal
The Facepunch wiki lists the Supply Signal as not craftable, not researchable and not recyclable. So the old idea of "crafting a supply signal" is dead. You have to find one.
Rust Labs drop chances:
| Source | Amount | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Elite Crate | 1-2 | 4% |
| Underwater Lab Elite Crate | 1-2 | 4% |
| Scientist PT Boat Dry Box | 1-2 | 3% |
| Military Crate | 1 | 1% |
| Locked Crate (any type) | 1 | 1% |
| Wagon Military Crate | 1 | 1% |
| NVG Scientist | 1 | 1% |
| Most other scientists | 1 | 0.3-0.4% |
The realistic answer is elite crates. Run Military Tunnels or Launch Site enough and signals show up. During the Christmas event, Rust Labs also lists them in the Advent Calendar and at 7% from Large Presents.
A thrown signal is a one-shot item with a stack size of 1. The Facepunch wiki gives a one hour despawn time if you drop it on the ground, so do not leave one lying around.
How airdrops work
Random airdrops
Without anyone throwing a signal, a cargo plane flies over the map on a timer and drops a single crate somewhere on its path. Corrosion Hour puts this at roughly every 2 to 3 hours on vanilla, but servers can change it, and modded servers often run far more.
Since the Power Trip update (August 2026), players can speed this up. The Airfield control tower has a smaller terminal that, once charged from the power grid, increases how often air drops fall across the map. Corrosion Hour's write-up says it doubles the natural supply drop rate for one hour, and the terminal can be charged again once it drains.
Signal airdrops
Throw a Supply Signal and it pops purple smoke. A cargo plane spawns, flies to the smoke and drops the crate near it, usually close but not on the exact spot. The smoke is visible from far away, and the plane and parachute are easy to spot too, so anyone nearby knows a drop is coming.
The May 2026 update (Upgrade hard, raid harder) also lets you load a Supply Signal into a Tin Can Alarm. When someone trips it, the alarm throws the signal on the spot. It is a niche trap, but it is a real option for messing with people walking into your compound.
Supply drop loot table
From Rust Labs. Each chance is per item, per crate.
Ammo and resources
| Item | Amount | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Blueprint Fragment | 2 | 100% |
| Pistol Bullet | 15-186 | 98% |
| 12 Gauge Buckshot | 6-70 | 86% |
| 5.56 Rifle Ammo | 12-212 | 78% |
| High Quality Metal | 32-78 | 56% |
| Scrap | 140-318 | 56% |
| 12 Gauge Slug | 4-20 | 50% |
| 12 Gauge Incendiary Shell | 4-34 | 50% |
| Incendiary Pistol Bullet | 10-50 | 47% |
| HV Pistol Ammo | 10-40 | 26% |
| Incendiary 5.56 | 8-32 | 24% |
| Sheet Metal, Gears, Metal Pipe | 5-10 | 16% each |
| Tech Trash | 4-8 | 16% |
| Explosive 5.56 | 8-32 | 13% |
| HV 5.56 | 10-30 | 12% |
Weapons, tools and explosives
| Item | Chance |
|---|---|
| Satchel Charge (2-4) | 49% |
| F1 Grenade (6-18) | 49% |
| Custom SMG, Semi-Automatic Rifle, Pump Shotgun, Thompson (1-4) | 39% each |
| Chainsaw (1-2) | 27% |
| Timed Explosive Charge (1-2) | 26% |
| Jackhammer (1-2) | 26% |
| Spas-12 (1-2) | 19% |
| Prototype 17, MP5A4, M39, M92 (1-2) | 18% each |
| LR-300 (1-2) | 4% |
Armour and clothing
| Item | Chance |
|---|---|
| Snow Jacket (1-4) | 44% |
| Road Sign Jacket, Road Sign Gloves (1-4) | 38% each |
| Road Sign Kilt, Pants (1-4) | 37% each |
| Hoodie, Coffee Can Helmet, Bucket Helmet, Riot Helmet (1-4) | 36% each |
| Ballistic vest, helmet, leg armour | 8% each |
Weapons in supply drops spawn at full condition, which is a real difference from elite crates. The Ballistic pieces are the June 2026 loot-only set, and at 8% each they show up here more often than in elite crates (3%) but less than in locked crates (17%).
What a drop is actually good for
The table rewards one thing: fighting. You will nearly always get a lot of ammo, often a mid-tier gun or two, and frequently satchels. C4 at 26% is the big prize. What it rarely gives is endgame rifles (no AK in the table, LR-300 at 4%). A locked crate has much better rifle odds, so do not throw your life away for a drop when a hackable is up nearby.
Tips for looting a supply drop
- Throw your signal where you control the ground. Inside a walled compound or a big base with a courtyard is the classic choice. On open ground you are calling the whole server to you.
- Expect the drop to drift. It lands near the smoke, not on it. Leave room inside your walls.
- Throwing on your base invites raiders. The smoke and plane tell everyone where you live. If your base is weak, throw it somewhere else and accept the fight.
- Watch the parachute, not the smoke. Random drops can land anywhere along the plane's path. Track where the chute is heading and get there at an angle with cover, since other players are doing the same.
- Loot satchels and C4 first. Guns and explosives are what you are there for. Run the raid calculator later to see what the boom you grabbed can actually open.
- Pair it with Airfield power. If your group already runs the power grid, charging the Airfield airdrop terminal gives you an hour of extra drops to farm.
Sources
- Rust Labs: Supply Drop
- Rust Labs: Supply Signal
- Facepunch Rust Wiki: Supply Signal
- Rust official news: Power Trip (August 2026)
- Rust official news: Upgrade hard, raid harder (May 2026)
- Rust official news: Built Different (June 2026)
- Corrosion Hour: Player-Maintained Monument System
- Corrosion Hour: How to Find Guns in RUST