Parachute Regiment To Lose Their Parachutes.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2290896/Army-chiefs-fury-Paras-lose-parachutes-New-cutbacks-mean-recruits-longer-trained-jump.html

/// Former Parachute Regiment officer Dan Jarvis, now a Labour MP, revealed that parachuting is being phased out and in future most recruits will not see a chute or receive specialist airborne training. ///

The Desert Rats, are losing their Tanks, now the Parachute Regiment are losing their parachutes, what next are the Rifle Brigades about to lose their rifles, so that they can be given to the rebels in Syria?

[boxtops]

when did they last actually use their parachutes. when were they last parachuted into a war zone?

[sandyRoe]

Times change. Cavalry regiment don't take their horses to war any more.

[friedgreentomato]

I know that I will be slaughtered for saying this but in this day and age of battles they do not need to jump out of a plane - so what is the point?

[sandyRoe]

Probably Suez, 1956. ^

[douglas9401]

They can adopt similar training methods to those that armies use in poorer countries. No real firearms or ammuniton so the trainees shout BANG.
Our paras can jump off low walls and shout wheeeeeee.

[boxtops]

That's logical, then. Why train people to do something that's not needed any longer.

[RATTER15]

It makes perfect sense to me.

Cant you see sense in that aog?

[Mick-Talbot]

omg ............this is madness ......they will be killed when they jump out of the plane won't they?

[RATTER15]

Mick, I expect they will drop mattresses out beforehand for a soft landing.

[boxtops]

.. or have an airbag on their bottoms....

[anotheoldgit]

The usual 'adult' comment as expected from some.

But then it is Sunday and all the kids are at home.

[Prudie]

Tactics in theatre situations advance and evolve. It doesn't mean they can't keep their names.

[boxtops]

sorry AOG, it kind of led to some silly alternatives. Seriously though - if nobody's being asked to parachute in the last decade, why train them to do so, and why keep buying in and maintaining 'chutes at a cost to the MOD if they are not needed?

[Ronnie10]

This doesn't surprise me at all seeing we like to blow our military budget on going to war with countries that we didn't need to.

Seeing we allow the Americans to use our bases for drone attacks and are there "Shoulder to shoulder" in nearly every war they start couldn't they loan us theirs?

[Mick-Talbot]

You tell the kids the reasons as to why the parachute numbers should not be reduced AOG ......go on, I'm all ears.

[anotheoldgit]

They may not have had need to use them for some time, but that doesn't mean that they may not be needed in the future, we should be alert and ready for all eventualities in the world we live in today.

That is why the Luftwaffe were so successful in the first years of WW2, they prepared themselves in the 30s, when we were still flying bi-planes.

[anotheoldgit]

And that was not in response to your demand Mick-Talbot, so you can cover your ears if you must, even though we type our answers, they are not in audio.

[Gromit]

The Ministry of Defence have backed down, and in future, every drone flown out of the UK will drop an Action Man on a hanky.

[ChillDoubt]

Successive governments over the last two decades have asked HM Forces to widen and stretch their capability year on year with an ever decreasing budget.

This latest move comes as no surprise and as ever will have a knock-on effect.
The lack of such specialist training will lead to fewer suitable applicants being put forward for Selection(the Army terminology for attempting to join the SAS/Special Forces), resulting in reduced capability and effectiveness of said Forces.
There was a crisis over it 3 years ago. How bad will it be now?
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/sas-recruitment-crisis-as-applications-plummet-790003


HM Forces are operating at their absolute limit. Should our assistance be required any time in the near future in Central Africa, the Middle East or even the Falklands there is every chance it'll all go a bit Pete Tong.
You can only 'streamline' so much before you get to the point of anorexic.

[modeller]

The use of paratroops fell out of favour on all sides during wwii .
The Russians rarely used them , Hitler decided against them after Crete where 25% were lost before even reaching the ground, it was described by some of our troops as like pigeon shooting. We lost 50% at Arnhem .

To try to minimise loses, paras were being dropped from lower and lower heights. The Russian tried dropping them at low level without parachutes into known deep snow drifts.
It is found that helicopters are far more effective in getting troops to the dropping zone and can carry far more equipment. They can also get them out again quickly if necessary which was not possible by other means.

It's already well dropping troops on special missions but if you cant get them out it can become a suicide mission.

At the time of D-Day most air borne troops were carried by gliders.