Paratroop Forces

UK Parachute Brigades

I read recently that there are insufficient pennies in MOD coffers and as a result, fledgling paratroopers cannot make the required jumps that will enable them to qualify for the red beret and wings.

On the one hand, there must be many para recruits who are relieved and that goes for many trained paras as well because, allegedly, many are scared of flying and more than a few are scared to jump.

On the other hand, I sat back and thought, ‘so what?’ Why do we need 4 parachute battalions? Okay, 3 real ones and a TA Para unit. Then there are the ‘add-ons’, the Pathfinders and the Special Forces Support Group.

Considering that the last operational ‘combat’ jump was during the Suez crisis, way back in the 1950s, why do we still need this band of ‘elitist infantry’? When you consider that one of the Para’s primary roles is TALO and given they are more likely to be deployed by vehicle, why do we need a Parachute Brigade?

In this day and age, I think almost all concerned would openly admit that paras will never jump in to combat again. The Market Garden debacle and the Suez Canal escapade, will never happen again.

At best, todays paras are well trained, heavy infantry who, at the drop of a hat, can revert to the LI role. But is this not what we have the LI for?

I think the UK Paras are kept on as an elite (or pseudo elite, even the TA unit are pretty good in fact). The ability to field a para drop remains an effective tool in any modern army. Not just for 'surprise' value but also for emergency situations. It's not just the paras and sas & pathfinders who get wings either, a significant part of the Royal Marines do so also.

Sadly like the reduction of the Royal Navy to less than 30 active ships, the merging of tough and reknowned regiments such as the Glosters and Black Watch... is all indicative of gov maniplation of the MOD and armed forces. Esprit du Corps matters a great deal for units like this. Plus I believe the paras are far more formidable than just a Light Inf role.

Sadly the state of the UK armed forces is starting to mirror the situation immediately prior to WW1 and more specifically WW2 which if a serious global situation develops then once again we will have to go through some kind of hideous Dunkirk / BEF debacle before necessary changes are made.

Didn't the UK Paras jump into falklands?
So their last combat drop isn't from the 50's... it's from the 80's...
And all modern militaries still field paratroop units..

the only parachute drop i can remember in the Falklands were SAS troops parachuting into the sea and picked up by Royal navy ships i remember seeing a picture of of it in an old book about the war

the last " massed " parachute drop was the Belgians in the Congo [ december 1964 ]

various special forces have since been inserted my parachute in various circumstances - but never in strength

the last operational jump by the parachute regt. was Lt col. Chaundler arriving off HMS penelope to take up command of 2 para [ 1982 ]

The last publicly known parachute insertion was during Op Palliser, 2000. In Sierra leone.

There have also been several as yet undisclosed night drops in afghanistan.

The parachute regiment is an integral part of the British army, to cut it's training will dull the sharpness of the regiments and degrade their worldwide respect. Also the Para's are the main source for SAS candidates, we are already short of guys capable of SAS training and p company training is the closest thing the Army has to SAS training.

This newest act by parlament will destroy morale it will degrade the quality of our Armed forces and we will loose the immense respect we have from foreign forces. We already have issues in the retention of good soldiers this will aggrevate that fact further

But it's ok to spend billions knows how much on projects like the millenium eysore, a new fake wembely and the mediaimpics!!!

Jimmy, 1 Para did indeed jump in to Sierra Leone but at less than Coy strength. 1 Para was also heavily supported by 13 Air Assault Support Regt who conducted a TALO Op to deliver the Land Rover SOVs to 1 Para.

This was not a tactical deployment or even a training jump. It was a straight forward publicity event dreamed up by that tosser General Mike Jackson who was determined that his beloved Parachute Brigade be spared the latest round of defence cuts.

As to your assertion that Paras make up the majority of the SAS that is, in my opinion, BS from the Para website.

I still don't know why we need the paras. We have SAS/SBS, Pathfinder, SRS and SFSG. They could be deployed by parachute.

You still need legs with bayonets and 'dropping in' to the jungles of the Belgian Congo does not really count because we are talking about UK paratroopers.

Originally posted by fritz
Jimmy, 1 Para did indeed jump in to Sierra Leone but at less than Coy strength. 1 Para was also heavily supported by 13 Air Assault Support Regt who conducted a TALO Op to deliver the Land Rover SOVs to 1 Para.

As to your assertion that Paras make up the majority of the SAS that is, in my opinion, BS from the Para website.

I still don't know why we need the paras. We have SAS/SBS, Pathfinder, SRS and SFSG. They could be deployed by parachute.

Nice try but the actual military operation carried out in Sierra Leone that required airbourne insertion was carried out by 2 Sqn. RAF Regt. in an operation where they were required to capture an airfield.

I make absolutly no "assertion" that the Para's make up the majority of SAS soldiers. It is a fact that the parachute regiment provides 58% of serving soldiers to the SAS.

The SAS/SBS, Pathfinder, SRS and SFSG are all covert unit's they are highly specialised troops you don't use 30 SF blokes to capture a forward airbase that's the infantry's job! Para's are basically Infantrymen who can fly!

The special forces are not meant to be used in normal infantry fashion, it is for that reason parachute regiments are very important.

Be safe

Heh, Heh, Heh! At long last 'A' Flight, II Sqn, RAF Regiment gets the credit it deserves.

Even you must admit Jimmy, that I am a sneaky barsteward. I am going to email some people and have a bloody good Honk!

So Steve - if you're reading this - and you usually do...................

Originally posted by fritz
Heh, Heh, Heh!

At long last 'A' Flight, II Sqn, RAF Regiment gets the credit it deserves.

Even you must admit Jimmy, that I am a sneaky barsteward. I am going to email some people and have a bloody good Honk!

So Steve - if you're reading this - and you usually do...................

Ha ha this guy Fritz is unbelievable he gets his facts wrong and to coverup this fact with some BS. Why didnt he say it was the RAF from the start? I would say because yhe didnt know, just like his claim of there being an F4 tornado variant.


What is the SRS ive never heard of that ukSF before?

[edit on 10-2-2007 by mojoberg]

Originally posted by mojoberg

Originally posted by fritz
Heh, Heh, Heh!

At long last 'A' Flight, II Sqn, RAF Regiment gets the credit it deserves.

Even you must admit Jimmy, that I am a sneaky barsteward. I am going to email some people and have a bloody good Honk!

So Steve - if you're reading this - and you usually do...................

Ha ha this guy Fritz is unbelievable he gets his facts wrong and to coverup this fact with some BS. Why didnt he say it was the RAF from the start? I would say because yhe didnt know, just like his claim of there being an F4 tornado variant. What is the SRS ive never heard of that ukSF before? edit on 10-2-2007 by mojoberg]

Mojo, please stop! OKay? As usual, you're trying to turn this in to a personal slanging match.

As to the SRS.....................well obviously you don't know jack when it comes to the UK's SF or the Special Forces Directorate.

If you don't know old son, then may I respectfully suggest you try to do your own research. Next you'll be telling everybody you don't know what the FRU was - big clue!

Originally posted by fritz

Originally posted by mojoberg

Originally posted by fritz
Heh, Heh, Heh!

At long last 'A' Flight, II Sqn, RAF Regiment gets the credit it deserves.

Even you must admit Jimmy, that I am a sneaky barsteward. I am going to email some people and have a bloody good Honk!

So Steve - if you're reading this - and you usually do...................

Ha ha this guy Fritz is unbelievable he gets his facts wrong and to coverup this fact with some BS. Why didnt he say it was the RAF from the start? I would say because yhe didnt know, just like his claim of there being an F4 tornado variant. What is the SRS ive never heard of that ukSF before? edit on 10-2-2007 by mojoberg]

Mojo, please stop! OKay? As usual, you're trying to turn this in to a personal slanging match.

As to the SRS.....................well obviously you don't know jack when it comes to the UK's SF or the Special Forces Directorate.

If you don't know old son, then may I respectfully suggest you try to do your own research. Next you'll be telling everybody you don't know what the FRU was - big clue!

ive never heard of the SRS ive heard of the SRR, i think that is what you are refering too (perhaps it was just a typo) ive im wrong i bow down before you walter oops sorry fritz

Call me Walter all you like Mojo. As you still intend to make personal attacks, I will offer the best defence I can and rise above the miserably low standard you set yourself.

You missed a chance to impress everybody with your knowledge of the UK's Special Forces, with the very big clue I gave you. I refer to the FRU. If you knew who or what that was, then you should have or would have known what the SRS was.

You did'nt and again you reverted to another personal snipe at me. As I stated on another thread you attacked me on, if my replies upset you that much, why not use the Ignore button on the left?

fine explain fully who or what the SRS is

Originally posted by mojoberg
fine explain fully who or what the SRS is

Why should I? You come across as a civilian or a person with very little or no military service.

As I regard you at best in the latter category [generous aren't I?] such information is way Above Top Secret and not for you.

I'll give you a challenge. If you do some 'deep' research and manage to come up with some info, you may publish it here and I will reveal - on line - what I was.

for someone who claims so much and to have so much expertise and too belittle others and to write about them in a condescending manner i have noticed time after time you get your facts wrong. You claim there was a tornado F4 variant (though you claim to have trained soldiers in aircraft recognition and to have served 5 years with a Tornado Wing l. ), 1para jumped into Sierra Leone (when another member corrected you, you made out you were just testing whether anyone knew the true facts), and then finally you claim that there is a UKSF group called SRS i have looked extensivly on the internet for any info, NOTHING i believe you have made another mistake i think you mean the SRR Special Reconnaissance Regiment . If i am wrong a i am sorry but you do not sound like someone in the military but someone who with a lot of info

[edit on 10-2-2007 by mojoberg]

Mojo,

I also do not know of any SRS in the British Armed forces

The only SRS that exists is the Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron of the United States Airforce they saw alot of action during the cold war and flew many sorties over the USSR taking high altitude photographs in planes like the SR 71 Blackbird, recently the SRS have been on bombing missions in Afghansitan and Iraq using the B-52 Stratofortress. In fact they are quite a busy squadron!

I'm unsure as to the significance of mentioning the USAF's SRS is in this thread

Also;

Fritz,

1 Para were in sierra Leone where they took part in Op Barras where they were part of the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG) which 1 Para attacked a rebel base whilst the SAS/SBS rescued 11 soldiers from a nearby camp. In this mission the troops fast-roped out of a chinnok as opposed to parachuting the mission was far from

"a straight forward publicity event dreamed up by that tosser General Mike Jackson who was determined that his beloved Parachute Brigade be spared the latest round of defence cuts. "

it was a successful mission where unfortuantly Tpr Tinnion lost his life so saying it was a "Publicity stunt somewhat cheapens Trp Tinnion's death.

You tell others to do more research but don't heed your own advice

post script:

Not everything on wikipedia is true

Be safe

i have an answer :

special raiding squadron [ WWII era ]

any advance on that ?

agreed that was ww2 if you see Fritzs post he is talking about forces we have at present quote:"We have SAS/SBS, Pathfinder, SRS and SFSG. They could be deployed by parachute". Just seems strange why he has left out the SRR??

Because, you Muppett, the Special reconnaissance Regiment is part of the Special Forces Support Group!