D-Day 80 Year Anniversary
Thread Starter
D-Day 80 Year Anniversary
It seems that the bods at defence are having trouble rustling up enough planes for a mass parachute drop.
Grant Shapps orders review into plane shortage before 80th D-day anniversary
Weren't there some C-130s that could've done the job?
Grant Shapps orders review into plane shortage before 80th D-day anniversary
Weren't there some C-130s that could've done the job?
The UK defence secretary, Grant Shapps, has ordered an urgent review after it emerged there is a shortage of planes for a mass parachute drop to mark the 80th anniversary of D-day.
The conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have left the RAF’s transport fleet stretched and defence officials are scrambling to find more aircraft for next month’s commemorations in Normandy.
Hundreds of paratroopers were expected to jump into Normandy on the eve of D-day to honour the actions of their predecessors in the second world war, but plans have been scaled back due to a shortage of aircraft.
The Mail on Sunday reported just one plane was left for the Parachute regiment to use for the event but Shapps said he expected more would be found.
He told BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg he had “no doubt at all we’ll have additional planes there”.
“It is actually the case that the A400, which is the aircraft we use, are being used in operations at the moment.
“It’s one of the reasons why I have argued, and successfully argued, to get £75bn more in cash terms into our armed forces because I think you do need to be doing more of these things,” he said.
The RAF’s transport aircraft have played a crucial role dropping aid into Gaza, as well as being involved in operations in Ukraine, leaving resources limited.
Under current plans, paratroopers from 16 Air Assault Brigade combat team will jump from an RAF A400M and the Red Devils parachute display team will also jump into Normandy.
Shapps told GB News he wanted to make sure D-day was “remembered properly” and he had ordered an immediate review of RAF resources.
“We know there are several live wars going on and [planes] are being used for those purposes, but I’m quite sure to commemorate something as significant as D-day we can do a bit better than that, and I’ve undertaken to make sure we do,” he said.
Kevan Jones, the Labour MP and a former defence minister, called on Shapps to resolve the issue out of respect for those who fought for Britain.
“Veterans who took part in the historic operation on the blood-soaked Normandy beaches and the Nazi-infested territory beyond it will rightly be furious that 80 years on, the MoD can’t provide enough planes,” he said. “Grant Shapps should pull his finger out and sort this immediately.”
/continues...
The conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have left the RAF’s transport fleet stretched and defence officials are scrambling to find more aircraft for next month’s commemorations in Normandy.
Hundreds of paratroopers were expected to jump into Normandy on the eve of D-day to honour the actions of their predecessors in the second world war, but plans have been scaled back due to a shortage of aircraft.
The Mail on Sunday reported just one plane was left for the Parachute regiment to use for the event but Shapps said he expected more would be found.
He told BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg he had “no doubt at all we’ll have additional planes there”.
“It is actually the case that the A400, which is the aircraft we use, are being used in operations at the moment.
“It’s one of the reasons why I have argued, and successfully argued, to get £75bn more in cash terms into our armed forces because I think you do need to be doing more of these things,” he said.
The RAF’s transport aircraft have played a crucial role dropping aid into Gaza, as well as being involved in operations in Ukraine, leaving resources limited.
Under current plans, paratroopers from 16 Air Assault Brigade combat team will jump from an RAF A400M and the Red Devils parachute display team will also jump into Normandy.
Shapps told GB News he wanted to make sure D-day was “remembered properly” and he had ordered an immediate review of RAF resources.
“We know there are several live wars going on and [planes] are being used for those purposes, but I’m quite sure to commemorate something as significant as D-day we can do a bit better than that, and I’ve undertaken to make sure we do,” he said.
Kevan Jones, the Labour MP and a former defence minister, called on Shapps to resolve the issue out of respect for those who fought for Britain.
“Veterans who took part in the historic operation on the blood-soaked Normandy beaches and the Nazi-infested territory beyond it will rightly be furious that 80 years on, the MoD can’t provide enough planes,” he said. “Grant Shapps should pull his finger out and sort this immediately.”
/continues...
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Top Answer
1st Jun 2024, 17:33
Am I the only member of the Forum to have seen some of D Day?
Living in Hove, Sussex, age seven, I was dragged out into the Close to see the streams of aircraft [yes, with the markings] flying south. Lots of neighbours in the road, some unashamedly weeping.
At about the same time dad was flying his barrage balloon from a ship out of Portsmouth, in the same direction.
On 6th June here we will be ringing the church bells for this, the last big number day for the remaining veterans.
Living in Hove, Sussex, age seven, I was dragged out into the Close to see the streams of aircraft [yes, with the markings] flying south. Lots of neighbours in the road, some unashamedly weeping.
At about the same time dad was flying his barrage balloon from a ship out of Portsmouth, in the same direction.
On 6th June here we will be ringing the church bells for this, the last big number day for the remaining veterans.
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A 'review' has been ordered - really? How about asking yourselves why you thought getting rid of the (relatively new) C-130Js was such a good idea?
I bet that doesn't get a mention, if 'questions are asked'. Less kit means le4ss capability... Politicians !
I bet that doesn't get a mention, if 'questions are asked'. Less kit means le4ss capability... Politicians !
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Ask the Russians
...
They could always ask the Russian delegation (yes really ! ) - and
- to bring a couple of extra IL-76s to the party.
LFH
They could always ask the Russian delegation (yes really ! ) - and
- to bring a couple of extra IL-76s to the party.
LFH
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I’m not an apologist for the MOD but the A400s are busy on operational tasks so it seems reasonable that the 4 ac requested for a commemorative task aren’t available. Can you justify keeping a fleet (the C130Js) so as to have the capacity to do this kind of event?
Given the grief directed at the Reds, who exist solely for this kind of event, I would suggest not…
Given the grief directed at the Reds, who exist solely for this kind of event, I would suggest not…
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I’m not an apologist for the MOD but the A400s are busy on operational tasks so it seems reasonable that the 4 ac requested for a commemorative task aren’t available. Can you justify keeping a fleet (the C130Js) so as to have the capacity to do this kind of event?
Given the grief directed at the Reds, who exist solely for this kind of event, I would suggest not…
Given the grief directed at the Reds, who exist solely for this kind of event, I would suggest not…
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Exactly. The Paras appear to be ready, what if there was a real operational need to drop hundreds of them. (Possibly even somewhere more remote than 200 miles from Brize).
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I've noticed in recent months that the daily circuit bashing at Newquay (ex-St. Mawgan) by the Atlas fleet has all but disappeared.
Given that Shapps has zero military background [I am informed] he does seem to have the right mind-set and motivation.
Whether he has enough clout in this case, and in more general terms, is another matter.
Either way, the planners for the event seem to have cocked up or just lacked VSO support.
PS I wonder who will get the responsibility for the DZ forecast?
Whether he has enough clout in this case, and in more general terms, is another matter.
Either way, the planners for the event seem to have cocked up or just lacked VSO support.
PS I wonder who will get the responsibility for the DZ forecast?
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Given that Shapps has zero military background [I am informed] he does seem to have the right mind-set and motivation.
Whether he has enough clout in this case, and in more general terms, is another matter.
Either way, the planners for the event seem to have cocked up or just lacked VSO support.
PS I wonder who will get the responsibility for the DZ forecast?
Whether he has enough clout in this case, and in more general terms, is another matter.
Either way, the planners for the event seem to have cocked up or just lacked VSO support.
PS I wonder who will get the responsibility for the DZ forecast?
This on the basis there aren't any local objectors around this time who may not have been in favour of the wx data being collected.
Isn`t there a thing called the C-17 around..? Seems it`s big enough to carry the whole Para Regiment....? or will they use a Skyvan and a couple of Caravans(C208)...?
As it is, on UK Purple Exs the RN Met. has been known to differ from the RAF Mobile Met Unit. Too many cooks ..................
I have decided not to volunteer to do the job; dental appointments, gardening and several other important matters have priority.
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I remember when the numbers of Hercs coming home to Lyneham over Christmas was so high that we ended up parking them on the disused.
[Unswings Lantern]
I remember when the numbers of Hercs coming home to Lyneham over Christmas was so high that we ended up parking them on the disused.
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Chuck them out of Chinooks.
I have always thought that the Levene reforms were a missed opportunity to find out exactly how much the Army really believes it needs an airborne capability by making it directly liable for the associated cost of maintaining an airlift fleet of the requisite size. I am sure that it would quickly come to the conclusion that it had better things to spend the money on.
As things are, it can sit back, paying the (relative) pittance of maintaining 16X pumped up on its elite-ness with para pay, getting it thrust forward to Akrotiri at the first sniff of action, blaming the RAF through informal channels for its inability to provide sufficient airlift, safe in the knowledge the same lack of capacity means it will never be used in meaningful scale, and therefore saving it the painful chore of self-critiquing the validity of the concept.
As things are, it can sit back, paying the (relative) pittance of maintaining 16X pumped up on its elite-ness with para pay, getting it thrust forward to Akrotiri at the first sniff of action, blaming the RAF through informal channels for its inability to provide sufficient airlift, safe in the knowledge the same lack of capacity means it will never be used in meaningful scale, and therefore saving it the painful chore of self-critiquing the validity of the concept.
Last edited by Easy Street; 20th May 2024 at 22:39.
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Well it’s proving that the fleet in a time of war ( someone else’s ) is stretched, so if they ever needed to do a substantial airborne drop in the future war scenario, they would be stuffed with the capability we have readily available…
TBH in my eyes, it’s a cost cutting measure in ditching the Herc fleet coming home to bite them in the ass, a capability sadly lost.
In this day and age with the technology being shown in Ukraine, who in their right mind would fly in transport aircraft into a contested zone to drop Para’s, every Johnny come lately with a manpad would have you shot out of the sky before you ever got close.
TBH in my eyes, it’s a cost cutting measure in ditching the Herc fleet coming home to bite them in the ass, a capability sadly lost.
In this day and age with the technology being shown in Ukraine, who in their right mind would fly in transport aircraft into a contested zone to drop Para’s, every Johnny come lately with a manpad would have you shot out of the sky before you ever got close.
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