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Paras to be grounded due to wrong chutes

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Paras to be grounded due to wrong chutes

Old 25th Jul 2022, 00:55
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Paras to be grounded due to wrong chutes

Ahh.... the Daily Fail, by the image used they are planning to drop them in boxes...




The British Army’s elite Parachute Regiment is set to be grounded because the introduction of new parachutes was delayed by Whitehall bungling, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

The famous Red Berets are expected to suspend combat parachute jumps and training for new paratroopers next year in an embarrassing blow to one of the Army’s most formidable units.

The move comes as the Parachute Regiment prepares to celebrate its 80th anniversary and is understood to have infuriated senior officers.

Based in Colchester, Essex, the Paras are the only force in the world to use the so-called Low Level Parachute (LLP), which allows them to jump at just 450ft from the C-130J Hercules aircraft.
British Army's Parachute Regiment is set to be grounded by the wrong type of parachute (msn.com)
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Old 25th Jul 2022, 06:05
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Does it matter if they haven't got the parachutes to jump out of the C-130J that the RAF will be getting rid of at the same time. No Herc, No Parachute, No Problem
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Old 25th Jul 2022, 07:12
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You don’t need a Herc, anything with wings will do!


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Old 25th Jul 2022, 07:13
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A good reason not to ever throw anything away.
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Old 25th Jul 2022, 08:17
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In other outlets they are not grounded but will not be able to do low altitude drops.
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Old 25th Jul 2022, 08:58
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The last time the UK did a large combat para drop was at Suez in 1956.

I think the capability gap till the new chutes arrive might be considered acceptable.
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Old 25th Jul 2022, 09:33
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I hold no brief for sensational press media and have very low expectations of accuracy.

However, much of the media [including broadcasting and the posh papers] are to a degree self-censoring.

If there is a grain of truth in sensational aviation/ military stories [probably leaked by a middle-ranking serving member] then I for one would wish to know of it.

Always provided that such leaks did not advantage potential enemies ............. a difficult proviso.

A free press is a most precious jewel in a democracy. Don't shoot the messenger!
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Old 25th Jul 2022, 12:34
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The famous Red Berets are expected to suspend combat parachute jumps
Do they have any planned - I wasn't aware we are at war with anyone right now?
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Old 25th Jul 2022, 18:14
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Buy American....I am sure the US Army can spare enough to outfit the British Paras.

There is a small unite near me that does a bit of jumping now and then.....the 82nd Airborne Division, the Army Special Forces, and the Army Rangers along with other lesser publicized groups.
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Old 25th Jul 2022, 18:46
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Originally Posted by SASless
Buy American....I am sure the US Army can spare enough to outfit the British Paras.

There is a small unite near me that does a bit of jumping now and then.....the 82nd Airborne Division, the Army Special Forces, and the Army Rangers along with other lesser publicized groups.
Unless they can jump from just 450ft, and arrive under a fully inflated canopy, and the equipment is cleared for use in an A400M, your kind offer will not be of any use.
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Old 25th Jul 2022, 18:50
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What is the point of jumping from 450 feet ............ it might reduce vulnerability of the troops by reducing flash to bang, but it seems very unhealthy for the "delivery platform".
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Old 25th Jul 2022, 19:00
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Originally Posted by langleybaston
What is the point of jumping from 450 feet ............ it might reduce vulnerability of the troops by reducing flash to bang, but it seems very unhealthy for the "delivery platform".
I suppose it means you can approach using all available cover and provided you pick an undefended drop zone ...
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Old 25th Jul 2022, 19:21
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Originally Posted by langleybaston
What is the point of jumping from 450 feet ............ it might reduce vulnerability of the troops by reducing flash to bang, but it seems very unhealthy for the "delivery platform".
(In a world where every man, woman, child and their dog can seemingly get hold of an AK variant.....)

Having completed the meat bomb course, I for one would have wanted to have spend as little time floating helplessly in the sky as I could, had I ever had to use the training for 'real'.

Weighing up the options, which would you rather take your chances with? Low height with a suitable chute or more chance of getting brassed up by a disgruntled local?
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Old 25th Jul 2022, 19:57
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Originally Posted by The Helpful Stacker
(In a world where every man, woman, child and their dog can seemingly get hold of an AK variant.....)

Having completed the meat bomb course, I for one would have wanted to have spend as little time floating helplessly in the sky as I could, had I ever had to use the training for 'real'.

Weighing up the options, which would you rather take your chances with? Low height with a suitable chute or more chance of getting brassed up by a disgruntled local?
Clearly a minimum time in the air, but a bit tough on the aircraft I would have thought .......... which was the point I was trying to make.
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Old 25th Jul 2022, 20:02
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Originally Posted by langleybaston
Clearly a minimum time in the air, but a bit tough on the aircraft I would have thought .......... which was the point I was trying to make.
Surely the 'delivery platform' should be designed so it is suitable for the role, not the role compromised by any limitations of said platform?

The C130 of various variants seems to have been quite capable, if other platforms aren't then that is an issue of purchasing surely?
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Old 25th Jul 2022, 20:02
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I think the point is that most para drop roles have taken by helo insertion at short range and increasingly by V-22 and then FVL.

The scenarios where it would be safe to use C-130 or Aa-400M to perform insertion at below 500ft without risk of catastrophic risk of loss of £400M airframes and 100+ troops being vanishingly small.

Particularly at a time when the army is increasingly looking at ranger type forces used, and inserted, in packet sized units.
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Old 25th Jul 2022, 20:06
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I thought Paras were so hard they didn't need chutes?
What about HALO?

btw has there ever been a parachute mission that was successful?
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Old 25th Jul 2022, 20:13
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Originally Posted by uxb99
I thought Paras were so hard they didn't need chutes?
What about HALO?

btw has there ever been a parachute mission that was successful?
Crete? Was almost a failure though,
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Old 25th Jul 2022, 20:14
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Originally Posted by ORAC
I think the point is that most para drop roles have taken by helo insertion at short range and increasingly by V-22 and then FVL.

The scenarios where it would be safe to use C-130 or Aa-400M to perform insertion at below 500ft without risk of catastrophic risk of loss of £400M airframes and 100+ troops being vanishingly small.

Particularly at a time when the army is increasingly looking at ranger type forces used, and inserted, in packet sized units.
Quite so. In WW II the German fallschirmjaeger had some successes but casualties were usually severe and such troops take a long time to replace.
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Old 25th Jul 2022, 20:30
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Originally Posted by ORAC
I think the point is that most para drop roles have taken by helo insertion at short range and increasingly by V-22 and then FVL.

The scenarios where it would be safe to use C-130 or Aa-400M to perform insertion at below 500ft without risk of catastrophic risk of loss of £400M airframes and 100+ troops being vanishingly small.

Particularly at a time when the army is increasingly looking at ranger type forces used, and inserted, in packet sized units.
I'm not discounting what you say, just that, whilst the capability exists/is deemed as required, then the aircraft should be available to service that requirement.

I fully agree that, other than for very specific small unit requirements, the use of large scale parachute forces is pretty much dead.
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