THE CASE FOR MORE PARATROOPERS... ✳️We are unlikely to drop an entire 16 Air Assault Brigade en masse into battle by parachute, even if we could. But, while we might not air drop a full brigade, there are definitely situations where we would want to drop a whole battalion - to seize an airfield, to capture a strategic objective, or to conduct raids behind enemy lines. Retaining the ability to air drop a battalion gives us options and flexibility. It is therefore an imperative: something we must do. ✳️In the age of drones, recent operations in Ukraine have shown that light infantry are ideally suited to blocking roles. Inserted by parachute or by helicopter, Parachute Regiment battalions could establish a crash defensive line to prevent key territory from being lost. Equipped with drones or loitering munitions, they will degrade enemy forces at stand off distances. They'll dig in to protect themselves against enemy drones and will ultimately hold the line they establish. ✳️The Bell MV-75 is a new type of tilt-rotor aircraft that can carry 12-14 troops twice as far, twice as fast than legacy UH-60 Blackhawks. It allows a force to be delivered strategically by air - arriving with speed and surprise at an undefended location where they are not expected. This might not be relevant to Eastern Europe, but would certainly be useful in an island-hopping conflict in Asia. Again, new aircraft offer flexibility and a range of tactical options. ✳️Independent of their ability to drop from the air, Parachute Regiment battalions remain an elite early entry force and 16 Air Assault Brigade is a vital component of the future British Army. Its troops will be airborne even when they don't jump. They'll fly by Voyager, A400M, Chinook, and NMH (when it arrives). They might infiltrate via road using Jackals or Polaris 4x4s. Or walk on foot as they did in the Falklands. What matters is not how they get to the fight, but what they do when they get there. ✳️The RAF's ability to air drop paratroopers was severely curtailed when the C-130 fleet was retired early. At the moment we only have 22 A400Ms. So the real story here is that the RAF needs a larger A400M fleet, not that the parachute role is redundant. The RAF needs additional A400Ms to perform the many other support tasks needed to sustain a deployed expeditionary Army. ✳️With Germany possessing a fleet of 52 A400Ms, the case for additional British A400Ms is a strong one. We also need to bear in mind that our fleet of 8 Boeing C-17A aircraft is not getting any younger and, unless Boeing reopens the production line, new A400Ms will be our only future military transport aircraft option. When the defence budget allows, an order for 10-20 additional A400Ms is something we should be thinking about. ✳️The need for elite infantry is so great that when we finally get around to regrowing the Army, one of our first tasks should be to generate a fourth regular Parachute Battalion. This would make up for the fact that 1 PARA is permanently detached as the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG). In summary, the Parachute Regiment is not done, it's just getting started. Retired Colonel Tim Collins makes this point well in his Telegraph article linked below. telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/02…