Some 50 paratroopers and medics from Army Reserve units have worked alongside their regular counterparts in 16 Air Assault Brigade, including an assault by helicopter and rapid air landing to capture the airfield at Kinloss Barracks.

Private James Dytham, a mental health nurse from Bedlington in County Durham has been in 4th Battalion The Parachute Regiment for two and a half years.

The 27-year-old said: “Being a nurse and a paratrooper are poles apart, but I joined the Paras to challenge myself within one of the strongest infantry regiments in the world.

“This is my first exercise with the regulars and it’s been very different. At 4 PARA we work at platoon level and cram a lot into a weekend training camp, whereas on a major exercise like this there’s more time and resources to work on bigger and more complex tasks.

“I really enjoyed and learnt a lot from the airfield assault. There’s a massive adrenaline kick running into action off the back of a Hercules transport aircraft. Time flies and before you know it you’re four hours into an attack, but it only feels like five minutes!”