British Troops Fill The Skies Above Norfolk

More than 2,000 troops, 400 vehicles and 12 helicopters from the Air Assault Task Force (AATF) are taking part in Joint Warrior, the largest military exercise in Europe.

The three-week-long test is carried out twice a year and aims to exam how the Royal Navy, British Army and RAF work together and with allied forces.

The AATF, commanded by 16 Air Assault Brigade, have been practicing mobilising and deploying at short notice around the country.

To test their readiness, its battlegroup, 2 PARA, have leapt on to the STANTA ranges in Norfolk from an RAF Hercules Aircraft:

The 16 Air Assault Brigade is the British Army's airborne rapid reaction force, and it's specially trained to deploy by parachute, helicopter and air-landing.

During the exercise, the brigade has also practiced evacuating British citizens, helicopter-borne raids and Apache strikes against enemy positions.

It is at the forefront of developing interoperability with the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and the French Army’s 11e Brigade Parachutiste.

Brigadier Colin Weir DSO MBE, Commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade, said:

“This realistic and well-resourced training reflects the type of operations that the Brigade could be called on to do, both in terms of the tactical challenges and their expeditionary nature. The missions that we will be tasked to achieve within a short space of time are a powerful demonstration of the unique flexibility, reach and agility of airborne troops.”

For the first time, this spring's exercise will also include the Royal Navy's first large-scale cyber war games, Information Warrior 17.

The British troops join thousands of NATO army, navy and air force personnel from a range of countries, including Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United States.

The US Naval Force released images showing the ships and their crews arriving at Faslane on the Clyde for the start of the exercise: