According to a press release from the British Army, UK Armed Forces loaded Container Delivery Systems (CDS) with humanitarian aid on April 1, 2024, as part of an effort to address the needs of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
This mission, highlighted during Armed Forces Week, showcased the role played by British soldiers in delivering over 100 tonnes of life-saving aid.
The soldiers of 47 Air Despatch Squadron, part of the Royal Logistic Corps (RLC), were central to this operation. They packed, built, and attached parachutes to dozens of pallets of UK aid before loading them onto an RAF A400M Atlas at RAF Brize Norton.
The aid included essential food supplies such as water, rice, cooking oil, flour, tinned goods, and baby formula. In March, over ten tonnes of these supplies were airdropped into Gaza, marking a significant milestone in international relief efforts.
British military personnel continued their work with another large-scale aid airdrop on April 9, 2024. This operation, the largest single-day airdrop of aid into Gaza, coincided with Eid al-Fitr and was carefully planned alongside international partners.
“This was very much a joint operation and a major success story of a small army team delivering significant effect,” said Major Aaron Thompson of 47 Air Despatch Squadron, in the press release.
“We are proud to have supported the multinational humanitarian response with a niche capability that has enabled aid to get into a country where no other option was currently viable.”
Additionally, 17 Port and Maritime Regiment RLC delivered humanitarian aid from Cyprus to Egypt. This team, consisting of Port Operators, Mexiflote crew, Combat Support Boat crew, and a REME Shipwright, aligned with the Royal Navy’s Littoral Response Group (South). They successfully delivered nearly 90 tonnes of aid to the Egyptian Red Crescent, marking a New Year’s Day delivery to Port Said.
“The sense of personal pride and achievement that everyone who played a part in the delivery shares is a feeling I will not forget,” said Lieutenant Leo Blain, 17 Port and Maritime RLC Detachment Commander. “I could not be prouder of the team.”
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It’d be cool to see something akin to the Berlin Airlift to deliver aid now the US military’s JLOTS mission has fallen through.