Tri-Service
7 Para RHA Fly In Their Guns To Salisbury Plain
7 Parachute Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery is part of 16 Air Assault Brigade’s Air Assault Task Force.
They’re ready to deploy by air anywhere in the world within five days and for the last week they’ve been testing their response skills on Salisbury Plain.
The distinctive sound of the RAF Chinook helicopter soon gets louder and F (Sphinx) Parachute Battery is poised to move into position.
Their 105mm Light Guns are flown across the plain and it takes just minutes to assemble them and bring them into life.
They’ll be moving positions for the next 72 hours, firing more than 200 rounds a day.
Next week 7 Para RHA will be taking part in a wider Royal Artillery exercise in Otterburn, but their main focus is preparing for Exercise Swift Response this summer.
Paratroopers from 11 NATO countries will be training in Europe led by the US 82nd Airborne Division.
It’s set to be NATO's largest airborne exercise for more than 20 years.
FACTS:
7 Para RHA’s main role is to provide offensive support to 16 Air Assault Brigade, the Army’s very high readiness response force.
The Regiment’s gunners are ready to deploy anywhere in the world within five days.
They can enter the theatre of operations by air – either parachuting or flying their guns into the battlefield.
The regiment is made up of three batteries - two gun batteries operating the 105mm Light Gun and a headquarters battery.
The L118 Light Gun can be towed, delivered by parachute, under-slung or dragged into position and has a firing range of up to 17km.
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