Plan To Drop Para's Into Afghanistan

[Tab]

Dramatic plan for parachute assault on poppy fields
By Sean Rayment
(Filed: 16/04/2006)

British Commanders in Afghanistan are planning the first operational parachute assault into "enemy territory" since the Suez crisis, writes Sean Rayment.

Senior officers hope that a "dramatic show of force" will deter attacks against British troops when they begin anti-drug operations later this year.

By the end of this month, most of the 3,300 strong British force - including 650 members of the 3rd Battalion of The Parachute Regiment - will have arrived in the Helmand province of southern Afghanistan, a former stronghold of the Taliban.

It is understood that Army commanders want to demonstrate to Afghan warlords and drugs barons that they have the capability to drop 650 heavily armed men, supported by Apache attack helicopters, virtually anywhere in the country.

If the mission goes ahead, the troops will jump from Hercules C130 transport aircraft at a height of between 250 and 300 feet and will be ready to fight within seconds of hitting the ground.

A Parachute Regiment officer confirmed that the troops would be taking their parachute equipment to Afghanistan and said that senior officers had a "very real desire" to carry out an airborne assault. One officer said: "Airborne assaults are very high-risk operations. There is a thin line between success and disaster.

"An airborne assault on to a poppy field would send out a powerful message of intent. But if there is any intelligence that the enemy may have surface-to-air missiles, then it would not go ahead."

The last time British troops took part in a airborne assault was during the Suez crisis of 1956 when soldiers from 3 Para jumped into the El Gamil airfield in Egypt as part of an Anglo-French operation to capture the Suez canal.

The crisis grew out of the British decision to join France and Israel in a bid to prevent the Egyptian President, Gen Gamal Abdel Nasser, from nationalising the Suez canal in the autumn of 1956.

Despite heavy opposition, 660 members of the 3 Para Group conducted a textbook airborne assault at 4.15am on November 6, 1956. Within four and a half minutes, they were ready to fight.

However, the military action provoked a furious response from America. President Eisenhower's condemnation forced the government to withdraw from the venture. The episode resulted in the resignation of the prime minister, Anthony Eden.

[COMMANDO]

AVE IT! Pray for no broken legs!!!!
Crack on lads good effort.

[SO19]

I hope it happens, an operational drop has been long overdue. One for the lads to enjoy.

[Greenronnie]

This has been in the wings for some time now (Artist will know what I'm talking about), however the RAF may put a stop to it, they're flapping like budgies about it.

[Doc]

Is it gen that if one of them airborne types does an operational drop his wings move from arm to chest? Or is my rectum speaking again?

[Paratrooper01]

There is a C/Sgt in 3 Para who wears Brit wings on his chest. No idea why though

Most other lads wear other countries wings when they have done their jumps course. Alot of Polish, Yank and Italian wings about.

A jump into Afghan will be one for the history books, but very risky. Our CO is quite excited about it and wants to make it happen, plus its fcuking Ally!!

[Tab]

Doc ...The simple answer to your question is NO you can't move the position of your wings. On Suez jump they were not moved from arm to chest. Also when I was serving there were many Arnhem vets still in the Regiment and they still wore there wings on their sleeve

[Doc]

Cheers guys, must be one of them urban myths that Ive accumilated in the right side of my brain.

Good effort if it goes ahead though, that will be the stuff of legends.

"Red on, Red on.....Mortars! Right stick stop kissing FFS!!!!................... Green on GOOoooooo!!!!!!!"


"Ooooo looky! Poppies and Ive nothing to match"

"......mortars Ive told you before!"



You have no idea how satisfying it is for a matelot to right this trollop!

[Paratrooper01]

.

"Red on, Red on.....Mortars! Right stick stop kissing FFS!!!!................... Green on GOOoooooo!!!!!!!"

Machine guns are more gay than mortars nowdays....they are the ones with all the "cross dress kit".

It used to the case if you wanted to go on a cross dress night the mortars lads will have everything and sort you out....now its the guns platoon

Queens

[Doc]

Sorry bud I was adding more trollop as you quoted and responded!

[neil1955]

There is a C/Sgt in 3 Para who wears Brit wings on his chest. No idea why though

They are probably Belgian
Their wings look virtually the same as ours but are worn on chest,same with my Fallscrimjager and Yank wings,(see album) you were only allowed to wear one other nations wings at a time otherwise it would start to look a bit daft.
SAS wings were worn on the chest if tou had jumped operationaly dont think it happens now though.

[neil1955]

Tou

[SO19]

I bow down to your tash Neil.

[Tab]

Wings on the chest.....Now during WW2 and up to the early 1960's this was a bone of contention among other things about the Para wings. Many Officers would wear them over their left breast pocket but men were never allowed to do this. As all the men entered the paratroopers as a trained infantry man and then did the P Course and jumps for his wings, he was really always on loan to the Regiment, should for any reason he was to be returned to his old unit then he would lose the right to wear his wings. What he was allowed to wear was a small wingless parachute on lower part of his jacket sleeve to indicate he had been with the paratroopers. There was a lot of needle between the men and the officers over this as the Officers were allowed to keep their full wings when they they were returned to unit. By the 1960's this was sorted out, it was ruled that all ranks could keep there full wings if they ever were returned to unit and that All ranks would only wear their wings on the sleeve, and wearing the wings over the breast pocket was stopped. Here endth the first lesson

[longrifle]

An operational jump can be the best option sometimes, even if it's not a tactical necessity. Helicopters may seem to be a simpler tactical option but they are just as vulnerable, if not more so, during the off-loading phase as planes are during the jump. The U.S. lost lots of helicopters on hot LZ's in Vietnam.

Airlanding operations can be the biggest cluster of all. The U.S. had quite a mess going during the airlanding operation at Point Salinas airstrip in Grenada. In Panama the U.S. jumped three Ranger Battalions and a reinforced Brigade Combat Team from the 82nd, at night, way faster and with far fewer problems.

All some non-jumpers seem to be able to comprehend is "wouldn't it be simpler and more effective to just land and walk off?" No. Not really.