16 Air Assault Brigade
16 Air Assault Brigade (16 AA Bde) is Britain's airborne rapid reaction force. In it's role as the Air Assault Task Force (AATF), the Brigade is an air-mobile force with the capability to deploy around the world at short notice. When combined with RAF transport aircraft and heavy lift helicopters, 16 AA Bde has the capability to put three battalions of airborne infantry on the ground, supported by up to eighteen 105mm howitzer guns.
Amongst other tasks, the Brigade might be used to quickly protect another ground force's flank, capture key installations such as enemy-held airfields, or insert behind an enemy to stop their retreat.
16 Air Assault Brigade is based around a core component of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the Parachute Regiment (2 PARA, 3 PARA), together with other infantry units, specialized artillery, combat engineers, signallers and other supporting units, many of which are parachute trained. Air transport and close air support are provided by helicopters from the Joint Helicopter Force.
At the heart of 16 Air Assault Brigade is the Air Manoeuvre Battlegroup (AMBG). This consists of a Parachute Regiment battlegroup - based around a PARA battalion (2 or 3 PARA) along with various support elements - held at readiness. 2 PARA and 3 PARA alternate between year-long readiness (AMBG-1) or training (AMBG-2) cycles.
There are several levels of readiness to which elements of 16 AA Bde deploy at.
- Readiness 1 (R1) - the Lead Assault Force (LAF), comprising elements of the brigade HQ, a Lead Company Group from the AMBG-1 PARA battalion, and the Pathfinder Platoon, deploys at a two day's notice to move.
- Readiness 2 (R2) is the responsibility of the AMBG-1 PARA battalion, which maintains a five day's ready to move posture.
- Readiness 3 (R3), a ten day's notice to move commitment, is given to the Air Landing Battalion, comprising of 16 AA Bde's third infantry battalion. This alternates between 1st Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles (1RGR) and 2RGR on a three year cycle.
- Readiness 4 (R4) is the preserve of the AMBG-2 PARA battalion, who would rapidly switch from a training to operational footing. AMBG-2 is on twenty day's notice to move.
All levels of readiness are supported by command support, combat support, and combat service support elements. (see order of battle further down the page).
16 Air Assault Brigade Order Of Battle
The Order Of Battle (ORBAT) of 16 Air Assault Brigade is flexible and depends on the availability and suitability of units for any given deployment. The current makeup of 16 AA Bde is as follows:
-
16th (Air Assault) Brigade Headquarters
- Command Support
- 216 (Parachute) Signal Squadron
- 156 Provost Company, Royal Military Police
(Attached from 4 Regiment RMP. Includes close protection team for 16 AA Bde's Brigadier) - ISTAR Group
- Pathfinder Platoon
- 226 Signal Squadron 14 Signal Regiment (EW) Regiment
- Parachute-trained Light Electronic Warfare Teams (LEWT)
- 216 (Parachute) Signal Squadron
- Air Manoeuvre Battle Group
- 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment (2 PARA)
- 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment (3 PARA)
- 4th Battalion Parachute Regiment (4 PARA)
(reserves unit, reinforces 2 PARA and 3 PARA; maintains High Readiness Reserve (HRR) element providing short notice support)
- 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment (2 PARA)
- Air Landing Battalion
- 1st Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles (1RGR)
- Combat Support
- Joint Effects and Targeting Group
(JETG)
- 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery (7 PARA RHA)
- operates 105mm light guns - A Battery (1st City of London) Honourable Artillery Company
- operates 105mm light guns - 53 (Louisburg) Battery, 5th Regiment Royal Artillery (RA)
- operates in Surveillance and Target Acquisition (STA) role
- 12 (Minden) Air Assault Battery, 12 Regiment RA
- operating Starstreak HVM in air defence role
view video of the unit training - 21 (Gibraltar 1779 - 83) Air Assault Bty, RA
- operates DH3 (Miniature Unmanned Aerial Systems)
- 613 and 616 Tactical Air Control Parties (TACP), RAF Regiment
- 4-man teams of Forward Air Controllers (FAC) (2) and Signallers (2)
- 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery (7 PARA RHA)
- Joint Force Engineer Group (JFEG)
- Joint Effects and Targeting Group
(JETG)
- Combat Service Support
- 7 Air Assault Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
- provides forward repair teams for 16 AA BDE vehicles, equipment and weapon systems.
- 13 Air Assault Support Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps
- 24 Headquarters Squadron RLC
- 47 Air Despatch Squadron
- 63 Air Assault Task Force Squadron
- 82 Air Assault Task Force Squadron RLC
- 16 Close Support Medical Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps
- 7 Air Assault Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Brigade Aviation Support
Apache AH1D attack helicopters from 3 Regiment AAC and 4 Regiment AAC provide the Brigade's organic find and strike capability. An HQ element and Apache squadron from either 3 or 4 Regiment is held at readiness for the Air Assault Task Force.
Wildcat AH1 helicopters from 1 Regiment AAC carry out battlefield reconnaissance, airborne command and control, and the transport of men and supplies.
Royal Air Force Chinook and Puma helicopters are on hand to airlift troops on air assault operations as well as move equipment and supplies via underslung load.
16 AA Bde Equipment
Equipment employed by the brigade includes:
- MWMIK Jackals
- WMIK Land Rovers
- Pinzgauer 4x4s
- Supacat ATMP
- L118 105mm Howitzers
16 AA Bde Deployments
16 Air Assault Brigade took part in the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Since 2006, 16 Air Assault Brigade has been deployed on several tours of duty in Helmand Province in Afghanistan.
16 AA Bde Selection
16 AA Bde soldiers with a jump role, and not in the Parachute Regiment, undergo the All Arms Pre-Parachute Selection (AAPPS) course at Pegasus Company (P Coy), followed by a Basic Parachute Course.
