British and French paratroopers take part in major wargame in Germany 

Over 2,500 British and French troops have taken part in a wargame in Germany designed to show how NATO territory could be defended against an attack.

The exercise involved one of the largest UK airborne operations in two decades, with 600 British and French paratroopers jumping from RAF A400M transport planes.

It is the first time that troops and specialist equipment have been brought together at this scale from low-altitude jumps, the Ministry of Defence said.

The combined exercise comes at a time of heightened tension in Europe, with the ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the Kremlin being blamed for arson, sabotage and assassinations in European nations.

News of the seven-week exercise comes days after Paris revealed that British jets had joined French counterparts for their first joint exercise involving France's airborne nuclear capability.

'Large-scale airborne power anywhere it's needed'

Exercise Rhino Titan, held at the Sennelager military training centre in Germany, has been testing the UK's 16 Air Assault Brigade against an enemy equipped with drones and electronic warfare, the kind of technology Russia could be expected to deploy.

The brigade is the UK military's Global Response Force, which is held at very high readiness to respond to global crises, from humanitarian operations to warfighting.

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said modern threats required "an updated, modern approach to warfare" and that UK forces were "preparing accordingly".

"Alongside our French and German allies, this large-scale training exercise shows we can deliver rapid, large-scale airborne power anywhere it's needed to defend NATO territory.

"This combination of troops and specialised equipment is what is required to deter our adversaries and keep Britain and our allies safe," he added.

Brigadier Ed Cartwright, commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade, said the exercise had: "Given a realistic challenge to defend NATO territory and pitted against an enemy using drones and electronic warfare, which is what we would face on the modern battlefield."

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Three RAF Chinook helicopters also took part in the training, carrying out tasks such as relocating a medical reception station by air.

Over the last year and a half, UK forces have increased training activity, progressing from basic parachuting to formation flying, simulated mass drops and integrated personnel-and-stores delivery.

On Friday, the prime minister announced that RAF Chinooks and A400M planes would be equipped to fight fires - providing the first military aerial firefighting capability based permanently in the UK.

This month, the MoD agreed a £190m contract extension with Airbus, which aims to increase the number of A400M aircraft able to carry out missions that are available each day from 10 to 13 by the end of 2027.

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