Soldiers from Suffolk’s Wattisham air base have been preparing to take part in a major European exercise.
The Apaches of 3 Regiment Army Air Corps, bolstered with Wildcat reconnaissance helicopters and RAF Chinook support helicopters, will be part of a British contingent of more than 2,500 troops taking part in Exercise Defender Europe 20.
The pilots and groundcrew of 3 Regt AAC's 662 Squadron have been put through their paces this week ahead of the deployment, which will see them training in Germany and Poland in the spring.
A key activity saw groundcrew set up a refuelling point on Stanford training area in Norfolk, flying fuel out in a Chinook to then top up the tanks of Apaches.
Defender Europe 20 is a US Army-led exercise involving 35,000 troops from 18 nations.
It aims to demonstrate the ability to rapidly surge combat ready forces into and across Europe to support the NATO alliance.
3 Regt AAC's Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Nick English said: "We're deploying by road, sea and air from Wattisham into Europe to work as part of a US Combat Aviation Brigade and give a credible demonstration of our ability to rapidly commit troops in support of, and working alongside, our allies.
"Everyone is working hard to prepare and determined to deliver a successful contribution to Defender Europe."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here