C-130 Hercules over the
Salisbury Plain Training Area during Exercise Wessex Storm on 19 November 2014. ,
Iraq Formation The brigade was formed as part of the defence reforms implemented by the
Strategic Defence Review on 1 September 1999, by the merging of
24 Airmobile Brigade and elements of
5th Airborne Brigade. This grouping created a highly mobile brigade of
parachute units and airmobile units, which employ helicopters.
Macedonia After a ceasefire was declared in the
Republic of Macedonia (now known as the Republic of North Macedonia) between government forces and rebels known as the
National Liberation Army,
NATO launched a British-led effort,
Operation Essential Harvest, to collect weapons voluntarily given up by the rebels. The brigade HQ and some of its elements deployed in August 2001, acting as the spearhead for the NATO operation. It returned home after the NATO mission was successfully completed in September.
Afghanistan After the
invasion of Afghanistan in 2001,
NATO established a peacekeeping force in December known as the
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), based in the capital
Kabul. The brigade HQ and some of its units deployed to Afghanistan in 2001, 2006, 2008 and again in 2010–11. 16th Air Assault Brigade has deployed to Afghanistan more times than any other formation. Following Taliban gains across the country, the brigade returned to Kabul in August 2021 to ensure the safe evacuation of British nationals as part of
Operation Pitting.
Iraq During the build-up to the
invasion of Iraq, the brigade, commanded by Brigadier
Jacko Page, was deployed to
Kuwait in February 2003. The brigade was part of
1 (UK) Armoured Division and after extensive training in Kuwait it took part in the beginning of the invasion on 20 March. The brigade's objective was to secure the southern
oil fields before they were destroyed by
Saddam Hussein's forces. The brigade's 7th Parachute Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery entered Iraq on 20 March to support
U.S. Marine Corps forces in their efforts to capture the
Rumaila oil fields, nearly all of the
oil wells being taken intact. The rest of the brigade, supported by its AAC helicopters, entered Iraq soon afterwards, still tasked with securing Rumaila. The brigade often met sporadic resistance and had to deal with disarming the many explosives attached to the infrastructure. The brigade was subsequently used to guard the oil fields and protect Allied supply lines with elements moving further north of
Basra – Iraq's second largest city – to provide a screen protecting it from Iraqi attack. On 31 March, the brigade, assisted by artillery and air support, attacked an Iraqi armoured column advancing on Basra, destroying 17
T-55 tanks, 5 artillery pieces and 7 armoured personnel carriers. After British forces entered Basra on 6 April 3 PARA was employed to clear the 'old quarter' of the city on 7 April due to the narrow streets making it inaccessible to vehicles. After Basra's capture, the brigade was based in
Maysan Province, centred around the province's capital
Al-Amarah. The brigade carried out patrols into towns, helped bring normality back to the south, tried to maintain order and destroyed any conventional weapons caches that were found. The war was officially declared over on 1 May and the brigade began to return home that same month. During one patrol into
Majar al-Kabir on 24 June, the brigade suffered its largest casualties in Iraq when six
Royal Military Policemen of 156 Provost Company were killed by a large Iraqi mob. == Future ==