British paratroopers have earned their German parachute wings, developing the ability of British and German airborne forces to serve together as NATO allies, say the British Army here.
The British Army say that exercise Atlas Despatcher saw an A400M transport aircraft from Lufttransportgeschwader 62 fly from its base at Wunstorf in Germany into RAF Brize Norton for joint training.
“Jumpmasters from Fallschirmjägerregiment 31 trained British paratroopers from 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team (16 Air Asslt BCT), the British Army’s global response force, in how to use German T-10 parachutes. Then, the British soldiers parachuted onto Salisbury Plain from the German aircraft under German canopies. The work is about developing the ability of British and German airborne forces to share resources, providing a more flexible and capable force when working together as NATO allies.”
Captain Maik Biggs, of 16 Medical Regiment, is half-German and has been a driving force in developing links between British and German airborne forces.
“We’ve really built a strong relationship with the Germans over the last decade, through parachute concentrations like this and joint field exercises. Germany is a key NATO ally and being able to work together is the bedrock of NATO. You never know what is around the next corner, and it’s critical that we train together and share our skills and drills so that we are ready for operations together.”
You can read more on this here.
Good to see this kind of cooperation using common assets
I wonder if they jump with thier SMGs strapped on or use weapons containers.a Bosnian airborne told me they jump at 100ft with thier weapons strapped on.Halifax is a real “bag of nuts”Ask anyone who survived jumping into Halifax and they’ll look at you like you got 4 heads.
100ft? He is incorrect mate as even a fast opening static line chute takes an average of 175 feet to fully deploy, and the UK LLP is the best. Weapons can be slung, with no bergans if an overhead assault, otherwise bergans and heavy kit is normally worn and strapped to you, to be lowered on the 15 ft rope once you have a full canopy and you’ve done your all round observations. Operational lobs with the LLP are 500 feet no reserve, training lobs 800, with reserve (thankfully)! Cheers.
Really need to see more of this sort of thing considering how we are all going to have share each other’s assets in a time of conflict.
I hoped the paras checked their German shutes good and proper. No knowing how old they are. Sharpening any broom handles offered will go a long way too.
Not related but good news on restocking NLAWS.
GOV.UK
UK orders thousands more anti-tank weapons to bolster stockpiles.
Ah German wings, got mine in Pfullendorf at the LRRPS with the Fallschirmjager training Coy there! Spent some great times in that lovely old town centre! Got a CH53 drop out of it as well when the Coy did a passing out parade and lob, with little me sneaking in at the end of the stick lol, bonus! Ah those were the days…….right sandbag away, back to work 😂👍
There is nothing wrong with staying in a perfectly good plane/helicopter!!!
Just get out when it lands, everyone else does!
I will never understand them as well.
Says a submariner! 🤪😇😂!!!! 👍
Good to see them training together
Will there ever be a real live airborne drop ever again?
Depends what you mean. I wonder whether UKR AF are using flying wings to fly near to Russian AFB, laze them to fires, and then Foxtrot Oscar.
Airborne has possibly done such things…. 80KM, is a good deception from, example, Latvia 😉
At Battalion level with all CS and CSS 800 plus lads, etc most probably not, certainly in the UK mil! Not least we haven’t got any aircraft to utilise in one lift! However a Coy sized group, most probably and small team insertion, from 4 blokes to Platoon/Troop level using either low level dope rope or HALO/HAHO most definitely mate! As David said in a reply to you, their are methods which can enable people to be dropped on the “legit” side of the border pretty high, and land on the other side, do the job and exfil using other means.
It’s another means of entry, a capability which has to be shown to be viable, trained and equipped in order for the opposition to take it as a realistic threat and therefore take account of it in their planning process. Certainly 16 BCT are a bit light on a number of capabilities, and needs to be beefed up in certain areas! But it’s there, it’s officially able to drop the lead Airborne element within a varied but quick timeframe and therefore the opposite head sheds need to take that into account! Cheers.
A 4th Battalion has been added, I think 1 RI in a “Strike Recc” role, whatever that means. Another battery has been reinstated in 7 RHA, some improvements there mate. Dunno how many guns the batts have though, back to 6 or still only 4? CS CSS more or less there but still lacking to support a full 4 battalion brigade deployment.
The usual cobblers rebranding, now the “Global Response Force” Great. Just as they remove 25% of their aircraft lift. Nice.
Yes mate, we always used to have an extra Battalion, used to be the Gurkha lads, and any uplift on footfall is good. 7 RHA has gone back to 3 Gun Btys, 6 guns each but planning and manning for 4. The Fst lads have been increased and a few more sigs! CSS little change but more voices making noises a head shed level in regard to this, so that’s good. Cheers mate. And I may now change my avatar to Chairborne as full time desk wallah now…….
Lol chairborne!
Not to me mate. Respect, always.
Wow Para and Fallschirnjager qualified, I’m impressed.
Why do the UK need Paras? Just transfer them to the Royal Marines and just train Special Forces to paradrop. When was the last time we dropped the Paras in anger?
When was the last time we used pretty much 90% of our assets in battle? And trust me, sometimes after a five hour low level, 80 of you crammed into a herc, piss, puke and heavy kit, we all jump in “anger”!