Paras and Lebanese airborne forces work together to boost fight against terrorism
Soldiers from the Parachute Regiment and Lebanon's Air Assault Regiment have been working together on a large-scale joint military exercise.
It is the first time the UK and Lebanese armies have trained alongside each other on this scale - and Forces News were given rare access to see the action in September.
With Lebanon being one of Britain's key partners in the Middle East, training exercises like this help to promote stability in the region.
For this exercise, the British soldiers were embedded within the Lebanese troops at every level.
Around 2,5000 miles from the UK, Lebanon shares the majority of its land border with Syria.
The UK has provided vehicles and training to Lebanon's Border Regiment to help with the very real threat faced from terrorist organisations.
"ISIS was our biggest threat, and between 2014 and 2017 we faced the threat on our northeast border," a Lebanese officer told Forces News.
"The Air Assault Regiment was the spearhead of the LAF [Lebanese Armed Forces] in conducting all these direct actions."
"We're taking advantage of being able to understand how they conduct their surveillance and their reconnaissance missions, also their other mission sets like raids," said Major Mark Stone of 2 Para.
Just understanding how they operate is a good opportunity for us."
A Lebanese officer added: "Both regiments have vast experience in the military, and both are highly decorated. It's really good to have such experienced soldiers, such an experienced battalion. To see their point of view when it comes to military training."
'Good to get hands-on'
During the exercise, the British and Lebanese soldiers swapped weapons on the ranges, giving them a chance to shoot with a different type of assault rifle.
"It was good, I enjoyed it, actually. It was accurate and a bit heavier, but I enjoyed it. It was the first time for me to use the SA-80, but I would do it again", said one Lebanese soldier.
Private Tyler Clark, of C Company, 2 Para, said: "Their weapons system was a lot lighter and more accurate at close range, whereas ours it a bit heavier and is more accurate at longer range. It's good to get hands-on and experience that."
'I gained confidence because of my job'
This exercise was a rare opportunity for both airborne units to train with a foreign nation.
First Sergeant Grazielli Mgiwah, Reece Company, Lebanese Air Assault Regiment, told Forces News: "This is the first time I've trained with a huge company from abroad.
"I didn't find too many differences between the training between the British Army and the Lebanese Army. We taught them new stuff and they taught us new principles and new skills."
She added: "We learned a new skill doing the fast rope. We didn't used to stop while doing it and now they taught us a new technique in order to stop while fast-roping.
"Not all girls have this opportunity to be working in the military and I gained confidence because of my job."
The integration happens at the HQ level as well, with the planning and command teams co-ordinating their units from the TOIC - the Tactical Operations and Intelligence Centre.
Training together gives the UK and Lebanese troops a chance to build on their growing partnership.
Both sides tell us they hope to see this training continue and even grow in years to come.
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