600 British and 100 French paratroopers have jumped into Germany from RAF transport planes in the UK's largest airborne exercise in 15 years.
The jump marked the launch of the Joint Airborne Task Force, a new rapid response force ready to parachute into action anywhere in the world.
The exercise tested how quickly British and French troops could work together to respond to a simulated invasion of NATO territory.
Some 600 British and 100 French paratroopers leapt from the sky over Germany in one of the biggest military exercises of its kind in years, proving the UK's ability to get troops into action anywhere in the world at a moment's notice.
Image: French and British Paratroopers administrating themselves in a hanger at Celle Airfield ready to jump from RAF A400’s as part of Exercise Rhino Titan.
Three nations meet together whilst French and British Paratroopers administrating themselves in a hanger at Celle Airfield ready to jump from RAF A400’s as part of Exercise Rhino Titan.
French and British Paratroopers administrating themselves in a hanger at Celle Airfield ready to jump from RAF A400’s as part of Exercise Rhino Titan.
French and British Paratroopers jump from RAF A400’s as part of Exercise Rhino Titan.
In a single day, the soldiers parachuted into Germany from four RAF A400M Atlas transport planes, along with four tonnes of equipment and supplies. It was the largest jump by UK forces in 15 years, and marked a major milestone: the launch of the Joint Airborne Task Force, a new force made up of troops from 16 Air Assault Brigade and the RAF's Air Mobility Force. From now on, this task force will be kept on standby, ready to parachute into action anywhere in the world when needed.
The jump was part of Exercise Rhino Titan, a seven-week training operation in northern Germany designed to test how quickly the brigade could respond as the UK's rapid reaction force. The scenario: an imagined invasion of NATO territory. After working to slow down the "enemy", the paratroopers jumped in to block their advance.
The operation began with elite reconnaissance troops, the British Pathfinders and their French counterparts, flying out from Boscombe Down and Toulouse. They threw themselves from 12,000 feet and glided in under freefall parachutes to find and mark the landing zone for the main force below.
"Air manoeuvre combines the fighting power of the Army with the speed and reach of the Royal Air Force. It allows a commander to quickly move troops to manage risk, seize opportunities and keep the enemy guessing. This is a very high readiness force, ready for anything, anywhere."
Meanwhile, the rest of the team, including paratroopers from 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment and their French allies, gathered at a German airbase to finalise their plans. Then it was time to jump. Flying in two waves of four aircraft at just 800 feet, the planes dropped troops in quick succession. The first wave of soldiers secured the landing zone while equipment was dropped in; three hours later, a second wave arrived, bringing in extra support including medics, engineers and signals specialists.
Pathfinders, the advance force of 16 Air Assault Brigade, perform a High Altitude Parachute (HAP) descent from 12,00ft on to the Sennelager training area.
Pathfinders, the advance force of 16 Air Assault Brigade, perform a High Altitude Parachute descent from 12,00ft on to the Sennelager training area.
A soldier from 3 PARA who has already landed watches over French and British Paratroopers as they jump from RAF A400’s as part of Exercise Rhino Titan.
Leading the jump was Brigadier Ed Cartwright, Commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade, who said the new task force was a "giant step forward" for the UK's airborne forces.
"Air manoeuvre combines the fighting power of the Army with the speed and reach of the Royal Air Force," he said. "It allows a commander to quickly move troops to manage risk, seize opportunities and keep the enemy guessing. This is a very high readiness force, ready for anything, anywhere."
Group Captain Jim Rycroft, Deputy Commander of the Air Mobility Force, added that the exercise showed how the Army and RAF could work together to act fast, at scale, and strengthen ties with NATO allies.
None of this would be possible without the RAF crews who fly and maintain the aircraft, and the instructors who train every paratrooper and send them safely on their way. Three RAF Chinook helicopters also joined the exercise, giving troops extra practice at swooping in fast to outmanoeuvre the enemy on the ground.
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