In Pictures: Parachute Regiment drop into North Macedonia with NATO

Hundreds of British Paratroopers have parachuted into action while on exercise in North Macedonia

This month nearly 10,000 British troops are deployed across the continent taking part in key NATO exercises. Pre-planned, the various exercises are to strengthen international military ties and ensure NATO is ready to preserve peace and protect its one billion citizens.

Exercise Swift Response is one of those exercises and sees more than 2,000 members of the British Army’s Global Response Force deployed to North Macedonia as part of NATO. Under the command of 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team (BCT) some 3,000 troops from across eight NATO nations are training together in the country.

The UK contingent is made up of the 2 PARA Battlegroup, supported by artillery, engineers, logisticians, medics and signallers as well as pilots and ground crew with Apache attack helicopters and Chinook support helicopters.

16 Air Assault brigade is the tip of the British Army’s spear and are specially trained and equipped to deploy by parachute, helicopter and air-landing. Its core role is to maintain the Air Assault Task Force, a battlegroup held at high readiness to deploy worldwide for a full spectrum of missions, from non-combatant evacuation ops to war fighting.

Members of the brigade were most recently deployed to Afghanistan in the summer of 2021 to evacuate civilians on Operation Pitting.

Soldiers from The Parachute Regiment moments before they drop into North Macedonia as part of Exercise Swift Response in North Macedonia.

Soldiers from 16 Air Assault Brigade ready to parachute into Ex Swift Response in North Macedonia.

A British soldier from The Parachute Regiment in the poppy fields in North Macedonia during an air assault on Ex Swift Response 2022.

A British Paratrooper gathers his parachute after landing in the poppy field in North Macedonia.

British troops board a CH47 Chinook helicopter ahead of an air assault while on NATO’s Ex Swift response in North Macedonia.

A British soldier from The Parachute Regiment on board a CH47 Chinook helicopter during an air assault while on Ex Swift Response 2022 in North Macedonia.

A British Paratrooper from the 2 PARA battlegroup in the poppy fields in North Macedonia during an air assault on Ex Swift Response 2022.

An Italian Paratrooper moments after touching down on exercise after dropping in from Italy.

An Italian Paratrooper moments after touching down on exercise after dropping in from Italy.

An Italian Paratrooper moments after touching down on exercise after dropping in from Italy.

An Italian Paratrooper adminsters his kit and equipment after jumping into North Macedonia.

British and American Chinook support helicopters delivered artillery pieces and support vehicles as part of an air assault during Ex Swift Response in North Macedonia.

Apache attach helicopters from 4 Regiment Army Air Corps flew as part of an air assault in North Macedonia.

Italian paratroopers complete their jump into North Macedonia from a C130 aircraft flown from italy during the Joint Foreceable Entry phase on Exercise Swift response 2022,

British and US helicopters delivered British, French and Montenegrin soldiers during an air assault in North Macedonia as part of NATO’s Exercise Swift Response.

British and US helicopters (CH47 Chinooks pictured here) delivered British, French and Montenegrin soldiers during an air assault in North Macedonia as part of NATO’s Exercise Swift Response.

British and US helicopters delivered British, French and Montenegrin soldiers during an air assault in North Macedonia as part of NATO’s Exercise Swift Response.

A US A-10C Thunderbolt II flues in support of the air assault during Ex Swift Response 2022.

Find out where else the UK Armed Forces are deployed here👇