28 September 2020

Update: UK paratroopers drop debut into Ukraine

by Tim Ripley

British Army paratroopers jumped into Ukraine for the first time, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on its website on 19 September.

Some 250 paratroopers from the British Army’s 16 Air Assault Brigade were flown directly from the UK by RAF C-130 for their first drop in southern Ukraine. (Crown Copyright)

A 250-strong force from the brigade was flown directly from Royal Air Force (RAF) Brize Norton in the UK by RAF C-130, dropping on the Ternivsky training area from an altitude of 600 ft (183 m). They included members of the Royal Engineers, Royal Horse Artillery, Royal Signals, The Parachute Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps, and The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

The C-130Js were refuelled in the air by an RAF Voyager tanker aircraft, which was cleared for this capability in April 2014, according to RAF sources. Images of the air-to-air refuelling of two RAF C-130Js of 47 Squadron and Voyager tanker aircraft were released by the UK MoD on 23 September.

During the mission on 16 September, one C-130J dropped a stick of paratroopers and the second aircraft delivered cargo pallets, according to imagery of the drop. On the return leg back to RAF Brize Norton, the aircraft were met by a single Voyager and refuelled to enable them to return to the UK without landing.

Imagery of the exercise indicates that the airdrop took place over multiple days, with the first drops by 16 Air Assault Brigade’s Pathfinder Platoon and 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, taking place on 13 September and another drop the following day. The C-130J involved in these missions did not receive air-to-air refuelling.

A senior RAF source told Janes

British Army paratroopers jumped into Ukraine for the first time, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) a...

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