Without leaving their hometown, paratroopers have trained to be ready to carry out air assault missions while deployed overseas as the British Army’s Global Response Force.

Exercise Blue Valkyrie saw two Chinook helicopters swoop into Colchester’s Merville Barracks yesterday (1 Feb 2022) to pick up troops from 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment. Across several waves, the battalion’s A Company were delivered on to Fingringhoe Ranges and C (Bruneval) Company to Friday Woods, where they attacked simulated enemy positions.

Air assault – using the speed and reach of helicopters to outmanoeuvre the enemy – is one of the defining capabilities of 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team.