PARATROOPERS endured a gruelling training session so they could be prepared to take the fight underground, on the streets and out into the countryside for the British Army.
Exercise Wessex Storm has tested Colchester’s 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, in three environments: Rural; urban; and tunnels.
The tactical challenges, which last six weeks, will prepare the soldiers to be part of a global response team.
Day and night on the Salisbury Plain, troops took mortars, heavy machine guns and anti-tank weapons to complete a live fire battle run.
The soldiers also navigate an underground Cold War-era nuclear shelter to face the challenge of fighting in pitch black and close quarters.
Soldiers then launched day and night attacks on the village simulation at Copehill Down.
A spokesman said: “The six-week-long Exercise Wessex Storm is about confirming the skills and readiness of the 2 Para Battlegroup, which is built around the airborne infantry of 2 Para supported by signallers, engineers, artillery, medics and logistics specialists from 16 Air Assault Brigade, to be ready to deploy at short notice on operations around the world.”
The British unit is working alongside paratroopers from the French 11e Brigade Parachutiste and US 173rd Airborne Brigade to understand each other’s tactics to be ready for future missions together.
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