The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the UK’s airborne parachute capability will be retained but narrowed in scope, with future capacity focused on specialist forces and a single battalion group.
In a written parliamentary answer published on 16 February 2026, minister Al Carns said the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) “considered all aspects of Defence, including military parachuting capabilities” and concluded that “airborne parachute capability and capacity should remain focused on specialists and a single battalion group.”
The response was issued after Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty asked what assessment had been made of the potential negative impact of removing parachute infantry deployment as a capability. Carns said the government had accepted the SDR’s recommendations in full and that implementation details would be outlined in the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan.
“The Government accepted the recommendations of the SDR in full and will publish the Defence Investment Plan as soon as possible to set out the plan for its implementation,” he said.
The statement comes amid reports that the Army is restructuring its airborne forces, with indications that 2nd and 3rd Battalions of The Parachute Regiment may lose their routine parachute jumping qualification. Under the emerging model, parachute insertion would remain a specialist capability, rather than a mass infantry deployment method held across multiple battalions. While supporters of the change argue this reflects modern operational realities and could generate cost savings, critics have warned it risks eroding a key rapid-entry capability and could represent a long-term decline in conventional airborne forces.
Am I wrong but doesn’t 1Para support SF and it’s not a regular infantry para battalion? If so we will actually have NO para battalions for rapid deployment!
Still part of the SFSG as far as I know🤔
As for rapid deployment, it appears they need to find an alternative approach…
” 2nd and 3rd Battalions of The Parachute Regiment may lose their routine parachute jumping qualification”
So yep, what’s the plan!
Correct. 1 Para is the main part of SFSG.
Jacko, Rapid deployment and Parachute operations are two seperate things. 16AA will remain a high readyness formation capable of rapid deployment, it just means they’ll have to land instead of jumping.
👍
Trust Dern to put its in to words we can understand😉👌
To be honest, the battlefield is changing rapidly, and a drone can now knock a plane out of the sky on it approach to the drop zone!
Perhaps we are better off doing an air assault by helicopter with vehicles\ eqiuipment and keeping parachuting as an optional extra
Seeing some of the drone capabilities that I help fundraise for puts things into perspective…
But if we put the bloody defence budget up, then to be honest, we should keep the existing force and restructure and expand
We are, of course, in a sticky situation😒😤
On the modern battlefield deployment by helicopter is too dangerous, parachuting is near suicidal. I can’t even think of the last time anyone deployed by parachute (US Army Rangers in 2001) I don’t think we have done a combat parachute jump since Suez.
This move probably makes sense however I can’t help but think it will damage the standing of the parachute regiment.
Well they won’t be a parachute Regt if they don’t jump out of perfectly serviceable aircraft will they? Also say goodbye to 23 Engr Regt and 7 RHA!
Wouldn’t they just re-role?
Dern has laid it out above,instead of parachute regts they will probably become air assault regts!
Sorry, that was poorly worded. I meant 23 Engr Regt and 7 RHA.
Got you mate,at the moment it’s 23 Parachute Engineer Regt so they will probably change the designation.
Thank you, Jacko.
I sincerely hope they don’t take the opportunity to see this as an opportunity to cut headcount. I just wouldn’t understand that decision in the current climate.
Paul, they won’t cut headcount for 16AA. As a light, high readyness force that’s the governments go to for things like NEO’s or rapid interventions, 16AA is probably one of the last units to have cuts aimed at it (being a Air Mobile it’s also relatively cheap compared to, for example, an armoured Brigade).
I also don’t think there will be any redesignations any time soon, plenty of historic titles remain with units that have evolved away from their original title.
Yes I do agree, even with helicopters its dangerous to insert troops
So if we are cutting the dangerous jumpy bit out for all except a battalion’s worth, then it seems it is now the end of an era!
What are the rest going to re-role as🤔🤷♂️
I’d be surprised at any sort of re-roll really. Parachute jumps are more of a capability than a role per say, so realistically I’d guess the only thing that will change is how many blokes do jumps at the end of P-Coy.
A certain regiment and its sister, did a number of jumps in Afghan, both from Herc and Chinook.
A certain regiment and its sister, did a number of jumps in Afghan, both from Herc and Chinook..
Hmm, seems to have duplicated itself
Probably a reasonable rebalancing.. it’s probably better and more useful to have a decent dedicated air mobile brigade ( with protected mobility vehicles, decent artillery, air defence, and CCS than an air assault brigade..
And so the cuts begin
Last UK air dropped assault was in 1956 at Suez, it was a debacle.
Even operation Varsity in 1945 was brutally painful with heavy losses to AAA – the modern battlefield is vastly more lethal to transport aircraft flying in large, slow formations over someone else’s turf.
The cost cutting is getting towards the smaller values further down the list. Every line is being evaluated and has to be justified. If we’re not going to (no longer can) paradrop a regiment then they don’t all need to do drop training with the expensive flying that goes with it. Or someone in the RAF has told the MOD that they’re not a bloody taxi service for the Army so it’s being cut.
Hostomel showed that even armed Police can put up enough of a determined resistance to stall an anir assault.
Unable to parachute battalions 🤦