UK and French paratroopers take part in largest airborne exercise in 15 years

Around 600 UK and 100 French paratroopers took part in a major airborne exercise in Germany, marking the launch of a new rapid response force that combines British Army troops and Royal Air Force air mobility capabilities.

The operation, part of Exercise Rhino Titan, saw troops parachute from RAF A400M Atlas transport aircraft alongside four tonnes of equipment and supplies. It was the largest parachute deployment by UK forces in 15 years, according to the British Army.

The exercise marked the launch of the Joint Airborne Task Force, bringing together the 16 Air Assault Brigade and the RAF’s Air Mobility Force. The formation will be held at high readiness to deploy by parachute in response to international crises.

Exercise Rhino Titan is a seven-week training operation in northern Germany, designed to test the brigade’s ability to respond rapidly to a simulated invasion of NATO territory.

RAF Atlas aircraft deliver troops and equipment

The airborne operation began with reconnaissance teams from the British Pathfinders and their French counterparts, deploying from Boscombe Down and Toulouse.

The teams parachuted from 12,000 feet to identify and mark the landing zone ahead of the main force.

Paratroopers from 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment and French airborne units later boarded RAF A400M aircraft at a German airbase.

Flying at approximately 800 feet, the aircraft delivered troops in two waves. The first secured the landing zone and received equipment and supplies. A second wave arrived three hours later, with additional personnel, including medics, engineers and communications specialists.

In the RAF announcement, Squadron Leader Luke, Flight Commander on 30 Squadron and Airborne Mission Commander, said: “Rhino Titan demonstrates the return of large-scale airborne insertion as a capability.”

He added: “The Atlas allows us to deploy combat forces further, faster and more efficiently than previous generations of aircraft, giving Defence the ability to project force rapidly wherever it is required.”

Joint Airborne Task Force strengthens rapid response capability

Brigadier Ed Cartwright, Commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade, said establishing the Joint Airborne Task Force is a significant development for UK 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.”

The operation also involved three RAF Chinook helicopters, which supported training in moving troops and equipment around the battlefield.

The wider exercise tested the brigade’s ability to operate against an opposing force using drones and electronic warfare, reflecting threats encountered in modern conflicts.

Group Captain Jim Rycroft, Deputy Commander of the RAF’s Air Mobility Force, said the training demonstrated how the Army and RAF could work together to deploy forces rapidly and strengthen cooperation with NATO allies.

UK and NATO allies test airborne readiness

Exercise Rhino Titan follows 18 months of increased airborne training by the RAF’s Air Mobility Force and Parachute Training Squadron.

Training has progressed from basic parachute operations to formation flying, simulated mass drops and combined personnel-and-equipment deliveries.

The exercise also tested cooperation between UK, French and German forces, including the coordination required to deploy airborne troops across national boundaries.

The RAF said the operation demonstrated the UK’s ability to deploy troops without relying on established ground infrastructure, giving commanders more options when responding to military threats.

The Joint Airborne Task Force will be at high readiness, providing the UK with a deployable airborne capability supported by RAF transport aircraft and specialist personnel.