British paratroopers conduct air-borne assault on Salisbury Plain

British Paratroopers have practised a mission that could come off the pages of their proud history as they prepare for future operations around the world.

C Company, 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment recently carried out an airborne assault on Salisbury Plain as part of Exercise WESSEX STORM.

Some 100 paratroopers jumped from two RAF C-130J Hercules flying at 800 foot onto the Fox Covert drop zone. The Colchester-based troops jumped in Overhead Assault Mode, wearing body armour and webbing with weapons and daysacks strapped to their legs.

The soldiers regrouped on the drop zone and sent out reconnaissance patrols before a night attack to capture the mock village at Copehill Down. After fighting building-by-building and street-by-street to secure the position, they defended it until relieved by the mechanised infantry of 1st Battalion The Scots Guards that night.

Major Bob McKay, Officer Commanding C Coy, said: “As we move on from Afghanistan and prepare for the next operational challenges, we are going back to basics in our training and focussing on our core skills as airborne infantry. This particular mission is exactly what The Parachute Regiment was created to do, and it can be found many times in our history – to parachute in, capture a strategic objective by surprise and then hold it until heavier forces can relieve us.”