The Ministry of Defence has denied claims that the UK is planning to reduce airborne capability or cut pay for paratroopers, following reporting suggesting the Army could narrow its parachute forces to a smaller specialist structure.
Speculation emerged after a written parliamentary answer from Defence Minister Al Carns appeared to indicate that airborne parachuting would be retained but focused on a narrower part of the force. Carns said the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) had “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.”
That wording was interpreted by some observers, including me, as implying that routine parachute insertion could become a more limited capability, potentially affecting the wider Parachute Regiment structure.
However, the MoD has since issued a clarification, with a spokesperson stating: “These claims are incorrect. There are no plans to cut any Parachute Battalion, nor Para pay.” The spokesperson added that the parliamentary question itself was clear that the government is continuing with its existing plans for parachuting.
While the MoD insists there will be no battalion cuts, the phrase “focused on specialists and a single battalion group” has been widely read as implying a structural shift away from broad infantry parachuting. Other defence reporting has similarly highlighted the ambiguity.
Forces News and LBC, among others, described the SDR language as suggesting a narrowing of airborne parachute activity, even if formal battalion structures remain intact. UK Defence Journal previously reported that some interpretations of the SDR wording pointed toward parachute insertion becoming a specialist capability rather than a method held across multiple battalions.
Oh yes we are, oh no we’re not…Hopeless as always. 🫣
The longer the DIP is delayed, the more of these kinds of misunderstandings are likely to happen.
The government seems to be clear on what it is not going to do but vague about what it is.
It is hard to believe that the key elements of future defence spending and structures are still undecided.
Aaaaand another U-turn!
SNAFU🙄
To quote a very famous and funny TV show, “Never believe anything until it’s officially denied.”
Actually, Otto von Bismarck was the first to say it !
He was before my time but thankfully Sir Humphrey wasn’t.
I’m actually surprised at the push back. Giving up on the rarely utilised para capability would “save” £ millions a year. I had assumed that the withdraw from service and sale of all the RAF’s Hercules transports was effectively the end of large scale parachute ops by the UK. Like the sale of Ocean and then the Albion’s marked the end of large scale amphibious operations by the Royal Marines.
Newspaper reports today make clear that:
1. The MOD still has a massive funding shortfall (£28bn over then next 4 years) due to inflation, pay rises and procurement cost over runs
2. The Defence Chiefs have presented Healey and Starmer with a range of options dependent on funding, with the worse case being “deep cuts” if no extra money is forthcoming.
3. Reeves has rejected the MOD request for a significant budget increase in 2026/2027 – although Starmer has apparently and very belatedly become favourable to this, he is in no position to overrule her.
So “deep cuts” it seems to be. Where is the axe going to fall? The priority will be on immediate “in year” savings. Cancelling army exercises, laying up ships, grounding planes and deferring maintenance & repairs are a starting point, but that will only scratch the surface if £5-6 bn of cuts have to be found this year. Big ticket items such as selling an aircraft carrier or the three E-7 Wedgetail’s will be needed.
“Reeves has rejected the MOD request for a significant budget increase in 2026/2027”
There is no truth in this statement, which was put out by the fossil-fuel producer funded Torygraph to continue their virulently anti-Labour campaign to get Reeves sacked
Sources close to Reeves and the Treasury managent have denied that any final decisions on funding have been made, while they await the outcome of the Ajax scrapping review
And in the meantime Ajax and variants continue to roll of the production line! Let me have a wild guess here and say they have NO intention of scrapping it! The way this lot bandy £Bs about a mere £5b isn’t going to worry them is it?
RB, an Airbus A400M can take 116 paratroopers ie a company. Four of them could drop a para battalion. Could use NATO allies C-130s also.
The fact remains that the freedom to manuever wins wars, even in the age of drones.
During the recent wargame “Hedgehog 2025” – a military exercise involving more than 16,000 troops from 12 Nato countries held in Estonia – a specialist Ukraine drone unit of less than 1000 specialists with experience of the front, destroyed a British brigade in three days. They totalled it.
The Army subsequently invited the Ukrainians to train our people in modern drone warfare.
David, from what I have read this very large Ukrainian drone unit (not small as some say) destroyed (in a simulated fashion) 17 British armoured vheicles. Hardly the destruction of a brigade! The target vehicles were apparently made quite easy to spot, some say.
And another example of why terrible reporting on exercises should be stopped.
Trusting any MSM, the MoD but mostly politicians? A waste of energy. Since covid and before, ” molded thinking”, ie a vast and massive campaign of social conditioning has been the norm. In its crudest form it is downright lies, in longer term psychological conditioning of the population.
Many will of course say it is conspiracy theory, others laugh it off. I guess the Epstein thing is doing us all a favour, because it is highlighting all the corruption at all levels.
I can only speak for myself, my circle/family of course. And I do not give a rats arse what others call me or think. I just know many veterans see through the bull crap, know the agenda is social control.
Take it or leave it. Stories like this are now the norm. Trust nothing you read.
I suppose we’ll find out when folks start complaining that they’re qualifications aren’t getting renewed