UK and French troops stage Nato defence drill

Thousands of British and French troops took part in a military exercise designed to show how Nato territory could be defended against a modern attack, the UK government said.

The seven-week exercise, called Rhino Titan, was held at the Sennelager military training centre in Germany. It involved about 2,500 troops, including 600 British and French paratroopers who dropped from four RAF A400M Atlas transport aircraft.

The UK government said the exercise included one of Britain's largest airborne operations in two decades and tested British troops against an enemy using drones and electronic warfare.

UK defence minister Wes Streeting said the exercise showed that Britain and its French and German allies could deliver rapid airborne power to defend Nato territory.

The drill comes amid concern in Europe about Russian aggression during Moscow's war against Ukraine. Western countries have accused Russia of a hybrid campaign including espionage, sabotage and disruption; Moscow denies those accusations.