16 AAB. A fine concept if you have the same funding that the US Forces have. Unluckily for us we just can't afford to fully impliment the necessary infrastructre and training needed to realise the full potential of an Air Assualt Brigade.
Why revert back to a Para. Bdge? When was the last time the 'Meat'n'veg' were used in battle? More importantly does the UK have the correct aircraft in service to be able to offer the Para's something to drop from?
For expiditionary warfare we need to look at gaining a few specialist units that can be trained in disciplines much akin to those employed by SF. To dilute the SF units with larger numbers or even sub-standard numbers would be wrong, but the time has come to earmark UK units to train in much the same way that the US Rangers do. Specialist Forces as apposed to Special Forces.
As a serving member of 16AAB I can confirm that the Bdge. has hardly had time to breathe since it's inception. The Bdge has gone from one Op to the next. This is not a bad thing as the units have gained valuable Op experience. Questions still need to asked about how the Apache can be supplied when it has the ablility to push the FLOT forward by 30 miles a day. The Logistical chain would have trouble keeping up!!
By axing the Bdge we would farm out units with valuable Op experience to other Bdge's that have stayed at home. Good cross polination. If the Army wants the Marines back then surely this wouild give the RAF the ammo. it needed for getting the Apache over to its ranks???