Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made in developing interoperability between 16 Air Assault Brigade and (a) the US 82nd Airborne Division and (b) the French 11e Brigade Parachutiste.

We continue to develop interoperability between 16 Air Assault Brigade, the 82^nd Airborne Division and the French 11e Brigade Parachutiste. These links are strong and will continue to be demonstrated during 2026.

16 Air Assault Brigade will participate in the 82^nd Airborne Division’s validation exercise for its Immediate Reaction Force role in March 2026; this is the culmination of a number of preparatory exercises throughout 2025-2026 which has seen tangible links developed between the two Headquarters. The US relationship is also reinforced annually as part of Exercise SWIFT RESPONSE, which are a series of exercises alongside NATO partners and has been confirmed through to 2027.

The relationship with 11e Brigade Parachutiste is focused around the Airborne Combined Joint Force which is formally recognised within the Lancaster House Treaty. This is a bi-annual alternating responsibility to command a combined brigade. This is achieved through a series of low-level bilateral exercises and culminates in a confirmatory exercise. Furthermore, there are exchange officers between the two brigades who maintain the relationship, offering parachuting and coordinate capability development opportunities.