EXCLUSIVE: The Ministry of Defence has been urged to clarify the plans after confirming a single battalion group will be formed from ‘predominately’ two units.
British troops parachute out of an RAF plane during an exercise (Image: Getty)
Plans to cut back the British Army’s elite airborne infantry force risks “blunting the tip of the spear”, a former soldier-turned-MP has warned. The Government has confirmed the Parachute Regiment will only have one battalion of paratroopers following reports the Army is restructuring its airborne forces.
A defence minister confirmed the move in response to a written question from Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty. Mr Obese-Jecty, a former Army infantry officer, called on the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to give “clarity” over the plans. He told the Express: “I’m sure there are questions from those who are serving in 16 Air Assault Brigade currently around whether this means that they’re going to see cuts made potentially to their jobs, but certainly potentially cuts to their capability.”
Al Carns said the delayed Defence Investment Plan will set out the plan for the changes (Image: Getty)
He added: “I think there’s a real concern that if we don’t maintain the parachute infantry capability that we currently have, then there’s a real chance that we’ll end up blunting the tip of the spear.
“The Parachute Regiment is one of our most feared assets for launching a strike capability, and while it’s a capability we haven’t used for some time, it’s a capability we need to maintain in order to make sure that we have the ability to deploy troops quickly, efficiently and effectively into operational theatres.”
Armed Forces Minister Al Carns said the UK’s parachuting capabilities will be focused on specialist forces and a single battalion group, based on accepted recommendations from last year’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR).
In another response, he said the battalion group will be “formed from across 16 Air Assault Brigade — predominantly 2 PARA and 3 PARA”.
The Parachute Regiment is made up of four battalions — 1 PARA is already in role as the Special Forces Support Group, while 4 PARA is a reserve unit. 2 PARA and 3 PARA are both regular, full-time battalions.
Calling for further explanation, Mr Obese-Jecty said: “Does it mean that only one of our two parachute battalions will be parachute-trained or do they mean that they will use one Parachute Regiment battalion to backfill the other?
“The lack of clarity is worrying and it’s something they need to clarify.”
Writing on X, former Conservative defence secretary Sir Ben Wallace said: “This is all a smoke screen for the fact that following massive unfunded spending on NI consequences, pay rises, and Chagos Islands the department has no real ££ for two years so it literally has to stop doing training.”
Mr Carns, a decorated marine who remains a reservist, said the delayed Defence Investment Plan (DIP) will set out the plan for the changes.
Others have argued the move reflects the shifting nature of warfare, with drones in particular playing an increasingly important role.
The MoD was contacted for comment.
