Grant Shapps vows he WILL find more planes for mass parachute drop to mark 80th anniversary of D

Release time：2024-05-21 21:10:29 Source：Earthly Edition news portal

Grant Shapps today vowed to find more planes for a mass parachute jump to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

The Defence Secretary made the commitment amid fury that cuts to the military had left just one aircraft available for the commemoration.

The Parachute Regiment had expected to honour its wartime heroes by sending over 450 men in four planes. 

There have been warnings that the UK's contribution to the events could look feeble compared to those of other nations.

A senior source in the regiment told the Mail on Sunday the lack of aircraft was 'an insult to those who made the ultimate sacrifice'. 

In interviews this morning, Mr Shapps said the situation underlined why the government was boosting defence funding to 2.5 per cent of GDP.

Paratroopers are dropped from a RAF C-130 Hercules aircraft over Sannerville, north-western France, prior to D-Day commemorations marking the 75th anniversary in 2019

Grant Shapps today vowed to find more planes for a mass parachute jump to mark the 80th anniversary

He told BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: 'This was only brought to me very recently and I certainly do want to see that properly covered.

'So, I've 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 £75billion more in cash terms into our armed forces because I think you do need to be doing more of these things.'

On GB News, Mr Shapps said: 'It's important that D-Day is remembered properly here. It will be, by the way, both in Portsmouth and in France. I want to make sure it's done properly and come back to the decisions that pre-date my time.

'It is the case that we do have some very, very good A400 heavy lift aircraft with about 1.4million tonnes of lift ability. So, we actually have a lot of lift ability in the RAF.

'We know there are several live wars going on and they 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.'

Critics have blamed the Government rather than the RAF for the fiasco because ministers decided to retire the last of Britain's 14 Hercules C-130 transport planes despite warnings that the fleet of Airbus A400Ms that replace them would not fully match the Hercules's parachute drop capabilities until 2025.

Writing for the Mail on Sunday, former Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood said: 'As things stand, the Paras' hopes of putting on a large-scale multi-plane parachute drop has been limited to a single aircraft and just 100 of them jumping out...

'The issue demonstrates a sad and simple truth – today's RAF lacks heavy lift transport capacity after all Hercules transport fleet, which served our nation so well for more than 50 years, was scrapped to save money.'

Former Armed Forces Minister Mark Francois, whose father fought at D-Day, said: 'Given the Parachute Regiment's crucial role on D-Day, it would be a great shame if we had to curtail a commemorative airborne drop, because of lack of suitable RAF aircraft.

'That generation of heroes defended our freedom against Nazi Germany and they deserve to be properly commemorated in return. This just shows what a chronic mistake it was to retire the C-130, which performed this role successfully, for decades.'

Labour MP Kevan Jones, a former Defence Minister, said: '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. Grant Shapps should pull his finger out and sort this immediately.'

A Parachute Regiment source, said: 'While we don't put on a big show every year, the 80th anniversary is being seen as special as it's probably the last milestone for surviving veterans.'

He said that the regiment wanted four of the RAF's A400M to be provided to allow about 450 paratroopers to take part. But to the Paras' anger, only one aircraft – which can accommodate 116 Paras – was made available. 

In contrast, America is expected to send at least six C-130s, with Poland and Canada also understood to be supplying planes for paracute drops.

This year's D-Day commemorations will be attended by dignitaries from across the world, showing their gratitude to the heroes who took part in the unprecedented sea and air assault that changed the course of the Second World War. 

King Charles, who completed the Army's parachute training course on being appointed Colonel-in-Chief of the Parachute Regiment in June 1977, will join American President Joe Biden, Armed Forces personnel and the last remaining D-Day veterans.

Members of the UK's 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team will jump on June 5 in tribute to the 18,000 men from the Allied powers who landed in Normandy shortly after midnight on June 6, 1944, to secure key sites ahead of the main invasion.

The Red Devils Parachute Display Team will also jump into Normandy, while the RAF's Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will mark the anniversary with a flypast.

French president Emmanuel Macron will host the ceremonies along the beaches of the Normandy landings. Events also include church services, firework displays and concerts, with VIPs protected by a defensive 'ring of steel' involving 5,000 officers.

Retiring the last C-130 came despite warnings that the fleet of Airbus A400Ms (pictured) that replace them would not fully match the Hercules's parachute drop capabilities until 2025

The Paras source blamed last year's highly controversial decision to axe the Hercules for Britain's muted contributions. They said: 'Quite frankly, the politicians need to give the military the resources they need to do what is asked of them but they have let us down.

'The C-130 Hercules should have been retained in service – instead all 14 were retired and are now awaiting sale for a foreign customer. We are seeing cuts in every area of the military and that is not helping our national defence policy and is impacting on recruiting.'

Rishi Sunak has promised billions more for defence, with UK military spending rising to 2.5 per cent of national income by 2030. Labour has said it shares a similar ambition but refused to give any timescale.

In a statement, the MoD said the 'comprehensive programme of tributes from today's Armed Forces to their forebears' would include a 'commemorative jump by UK paratroopers from an A400M on June 5 alongside Allied counterparts'.

A spokesman said: 'D-Day 80 will offer a comprehensive programme of tributes from today's armed forces to their forebears with a significant amount of activity in both France and the UK, involving thousands of personnel, Royal Air Force flypasts and Royal Navy vessels.

'This will include a commemorative jump by UK paratroopers from an A400M aircraft on June 5 alongside Allied counterparts.'

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