British Military Current Events

[FJAG]

Hey @daftandbarmy!

Airborne Army regiment face being sent into battle without parachutes

The future of the legendary 'Paras' could be under threat from cost-cutting measures, which astonishingly include being forced to ditch their parachutes, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[daftandbarmy]

Hey @daftandbarmy!

Residual colonial commitments will ensure that there will always be some kind of a long range parachute capability maintained.

When I joined, just before the Falklands War, they said the same thing: no more parachuting! After the war there was a massive investment in strategic parachute ops resulting in the stand up of 5 AB Bde.

The reality is that the UK must retain a rapidly deployable parachute force for SPE/NEO ops. The Sudan situation in 2023 almost resulted in the brigade going in, for example.

The spectre of UK nationals being chopped up into pieces on TV in a random 3rd world country could bring down a government pretty quickly, as well as being unhealthy for those UK passport holders.

UK completes largest and longest Western evacuation from Sudan

The UK government has concluded its successful evacuation operation and announced that it will provide £5 million of lifesaving aid to people fleeing Sudan.

www.gov.uk

 

[FJAG]

My reading between the lines is that the RAF is saying that we just don't want to play silly-bugger with you folks anymore: it's expensive, it takes airplanes away from actual valuable work and quite frankly its boring stuff in peacetime which will probably kill us and our very expensive aircraft if we have to do it for real.

 

[daftandbarmy]

My reading between the lines is that the RAF is saying that we just don't want to play silly-bugger with you folks anymore: it's expensive, it takes airplanes away from actual valuable work and quite frankly its boring stuff in peacetime which will probably kill us and our very expensive aircraft if we have to do it for real.

The RAF is the reason why we always tried to get Fleet Air Arm support whenever possible

 

[daftandbarmy]

Out, out, damned spot...


British soldiers face dismissal over positive drugs tests

More than 20 soldiers from the British Army could be sacked after testing positive for drugs.

According to the Sun, which first reported the story, 23 personnel from 32 Engineer Regiment based in Catterick, North Yorkshire, were reportedly caught in a sting just before Christmas. The newspaper described it as the "biggest drugs bust" to hit the Army.

The British Army said the soldiers may be discharged once investigations have concluded.

"Substance abuse is unacceptable in the Army," it said in a statement to the BBC.

British soldiers face dismissal over failed drugs tests

The Army tells the BBC "substance abuse is unacceptable" after 23 soldiers from the same regiment failed compulsory drug testing.

www.bbc.com

 

[Grimey]

The RAF is the reason why we always tried to get Fleet Air Arm support whenever possible

In Aden, my old man had a preference for RN Wessex rather than Crab Wessex. Something about them actually showing up.

 

[daftandbarmy]

In Aden, my old man had a preference for RN Wessex rather than Crab Wessex. Something about them actually showing up.

To be fair, having talked to Crab Aircrew, they were apparently operating under far more restrictive flying hour policies than the RN or AAC.

And they like to be home for dinner

 

[medicineman]

To be fair, having talked to Crab Aircrew, they were apparently operating under far more restrictive flying hour policies than the RN or AAC.

And they like to be home back in their 5 star hotels for dinner

FTFY...

 

[daftandbarmy]

FTFY...

I recall a particularly miserable Div level exercise in Scotland with ample snow and rain.

On about day 6 of 12 we slogged past a small village and, parked out back on some PSP, we spied a Harrier.

The pilot and ground crew were lodged in the pub, of course, likely claiming hardship allowance