New equipment for British paratroopers deployed in Bosnia Herzegovina.

The troops from C Company, 3 Para, are in Bosnia Herzegovina, taking part in Exercise Quick Response 2018 as part of EUFOR’s Multinational Battalion, deepening and strengthening working relationships with international partners, and helping ensure a safe and secure environment for the people of the country, in support of local authorities and the armed forces. Pictures taken during this exercise show the paras with a new jaw protection attached to their helmet.

The British paras deployed in Bosnia Herzegovina have their helmets improved with a jaw protection adapted to police missions (Picture source: British MoD)

British paratroopers clad in fire-retardant overalls and bearing riot shields are subjected to an ordeal by fire during realistic public order training at Camp Butmir in Sarajevo. Soldiers of C Company, 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment (3 Para), hone their crowd control skills during a simulated disturbance at Camp Butmir, Sarajevo, as part of Exercise Quick Response 2018, a major multinational readiness exercise seeing the British paratroopers train alongside their Austrian, Hungarian and Turkish partners in EUFOR’s Multinational Battalion. The Paras will conduct a number of challenging and realistic training serials at locations across Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of the exercise, enhancing their ability to work alongside international allies and helping EUFOR ensure safety and security in this key strategic region.

As part of the realistic and challenging training package, soldiers wearing fire retardant overalls, balaclavas and helmets, and bearing protective shields, faced petrol bomb-wielding instructors posing as rioters, testing both their public order skills and their ability to apply them under pressure. The men of C Company are in Bosnia Herzegovina helping to ensure a safe and secure environment for the people of the country, in support of local authorities and the Armed Forces, working closely with their Austrian, Hungarian and Turkish counterparts.

Private Tamas Borzak, of 8 Platoon, C Company, 3 Para, talks about undergoing "fire inoculation" during public order training at Camp Butmir, Sarajevo. "The fire inoculation, I can imagine civvies back home if they were to do it they'd probably take some baby steps backwards as the Molotovs were coming at you. But it's good to see the blokes standing firm, going straight through it, seeing the petrol bomb come at you, and "bang!" it's on your feet, and everyone just does the drills and gets their head like that, 'cos you can see that they're really trying to concentrate and get the drills correct, otherwise you will get hurt. But we're Reg, we do the job right, we're professional soldiers."