British and French troops join forces to prepare for fight against enemy using drones in NATO exercise

Seven weeks of training saw more than 2,500 British and French troops face challenges of a modern battlefield during training in Germany with hundreds parachuting from RAF aircraft

by · The Mirror
Around 600 British and French paratroopers jumped from four RAF A400M Atlas transport aircraft during a single battlefield exercise. They made the low-altitude jumps in several waves, testing how troops could reach the ground in large numbers.(Image:Cpl Sarah Barsby RAF)
Landing is only the start. Soldiers also need the supplies and specialist equipment to begin their work on the ground. For the first time on this scale, the exercise brought those deliveries together with the troops, equipping them to operate straight away.(Image:UK MOD Crown copyright)
The enemy was simulated, but the challenge reflected threats soldiers could face in combat. Drones and electronic warfare formed part of the test of the brigade’s ability to defend NATO territory.
Brigadier Ed Cartwright, Commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade, said: “We have been given a realistic challenge to defend NATO territory and pitted against an enemy using drones and electronic warfare, which is what we would face on the modern battlefield.”(Image:UK MOD Crown copyright)
RAF crews played a crucial part in delivering soldiers and their equipment. The exercise tested how the air force and Army could carry out a large operation together.
Group Captain Jim Rycroft, Deputy Air Mobility Force Commander, said: “Exercise RHINO TITAN demonstrates how the Royal Air Force and British Army combine to generate and deliver combat power at speed, at range and at scale.
“By bringing together the Air Mobility Force and 16 Air Assault Brigade, we are proving the UK’s ability to respond rapidly to emerging challenges while strengthening our interoperability with NATO allies and partners.”(Image:Cpl Sarah Barsby RAF)