THE largest military parachute drop in the UK for more than a decade has taken place at Salisbury Plain, involving more than 200 Regular and Reserve soldiers from 16 Air Assault Brigade.

The soldiers jumped from 800-feet out of four RAF C-130J Hercules transport aircraft on Tuesday (December 8) having mounted from RAF Brize Norton.

They landed onto the Imber drop zone in overhead assault mode, carrying light equipment so that they would be ready to start operations when they hit the ground.

The 16 Air Assault Brigade is the British Army's airborne rapid reaction force, specially trained and equipped to deploy by parachute, helicopter and air-landing.

Brigadier Colin Weir DSO MBE, Commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade, said: “We enjoy a close relationship with the Royal Air Force and this jump is a powerful demonstration of our joint capabilities, which we continue to develop.

“The RAF’s Hercules transport aircraft and Puma, Merlin and Chinook support helicopters are vital to the air manoeuvre capability that defines 16 Air Assault Brigade’s unique role.

“It has also been an excellent way to mark the end of 2015, a fruitful year for the Brigade in which we have improved our interoperability with US and French paratroopers through major airborne exercises and redefined our identity and ethos through the re-adoption of Pegasus.

“The achievements of the soldiers who fought wearing Pegasus in the Second World War set the high standards we aim for today and we are all hugely proud to jump wearing Pegasus.”