Amid the military spectacle of a State Visit by the President of France, British and French paratroopers have trained together to be ready to deploy on operations together.
Group photo of paratroopers from the French 11e Brigade Parachutiste, Parachute Jump Instructor’s and paratroopers from 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team.
Army Parachute Jump Instructor shows a paratrooper from the French 11e Brigade Parachutiste, how to service his bergen ready for jumping during ground training.
Paratroopers from the French 11e Brigade Parachutiste, practiced their drills for exiting the aircraft and landing during ground training at No 1 Parachute Training School.
Paratrooper from the French 11e Brigade Parachutiste, is checked over by a Parachute Jump Instructor before making his way to the aircraft to jump.
Paratroopers from the French 11e Brigade Parachutiste, packed away his British low level parachute on the drop zone after their descent.
French paratroopers jumped in the skies of Oxfordshire under British parachutes on Tuesday (8 Jul) as His Majesty The King and Emmanuel Macron drove in a ceremonial carriage procession through Windsor, along streets lined by personnel from the Royal Navy, the British Army and the Royal Air Force (RAF).
Training like this is important, because the more we know about each other the better prepared we are to go on operations together. It’s also important to build human relationships – we are all paratroopers, with similar training and mindset, and being able to earn a different nation’s parachute wings celebrates that bond."
Some 20 soldiers from the French 11e Brigade Parachutiste (11e BP) trained to use the British military’s Low Level Parachute system at No 1 Parachute Training School at RAF Brize Norton. After a day of ground training to build familiarity with the kit and procedures, the French paratroopers did a parachute jump to earn their ‘Bonds of Friendship’ wings.
The training was part of the Airborne Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (ACJEF), a partnership between 16 Air Assault Brigade and 11e BP. Both brigades serve as their armies’ rapid response forces and have been trained and ready to deploy together in response to global crises since 2013. The ACJEF is at the forefront of the Franco-British military co-operation initiated by the 2010 Lancaster House Treaties, which agreed to greater military integration and closer collaboration in research and technology to strengthen our security.
Defence and security issues are high on the agenda for President Macron’s three-day-long State visit, making the paratroopers’ training particularly timely.
It is very interesting to see how a different army does the same job as we do, but using different kit and methods,” he said. “I have found it very rewarding and beneficial to share parachuting skills with the British paratroopers, in France and here in Britain, and strengthen the links between our militaries.
Corporal Craig Corrigan, an Army Parachute Jump Instructor (PJI), said: “Many of the French soldiers who have come over are instructors, so they have a strong understanding and experience of parachuting, including some with combat jumps. The equipment and procedures we use are slightly different to the French, but it all comes from the same principles, and they’ve adapted quickly.
“Training like this is important, because the more we know about each other the better prepared we are to go on operations together. It’s also important to build human relationships – we are all paratroopers, with similar training and mindset, and being able to earn a different nation’s parachute wings celebrates that bond.”
Sergeant Jean-Baptiste is an 11e BP jumpmaster and taught British paratroopers to use French parachutes for a commemorative jump to mark the 81st anniversary of D-Day last month.
“It is very interesting to see how a different army does the same job as we do, but using different kit and methods,” he said. “I have found it very rewarding and beneficial to share parachuting skills with the British paratroopers, in France and here in Britain, and strengthen the links between our militaries.”
It is a privilege for Airborne Delivery Wing to welcome our French colleagues, and to enable their parachute training alongside their British Army counterparts; this enhances interoperability across NATO and the Airborne Combined Joint Expeditionary Force."
As well as an example of Franco-British military co-operation, British airborne forces are a partnership between the Army and the RAF. Parachute training is jointly delivered by Army and RAF PJIs, while paratroopers jump from RAF A400M transport aircraft in tactical scenarios.
Wing Commander Rich Lewis, Officer Commanding Airborne Delivery Wing, said: "It is a privilege for Airborne Delivery Wing to welcome our French colleagues, and to enable their parachute training alongside their British Army counterparts; this enhances interoperability across NATO and the Airborne Combined Joint Expeditionary Force, and it also builds upon a longstanding bond of friendship and collaboration in this important week for celebrating the strong relationship between the United Kingdom and France."
