RAF is struggling to find aircraft for Paras to jump in for 80th D-Day celebrations

The RAF is struggling to find aircraft for Paras to jump in for the 80th D-Day celebrations.

Hundreds of British soldiers are set to take to the skies over France in Airbus A400M aircraft – but only one is available.

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The shortages show why more money needs to be spent on the UK Armed Forces, Defense Minister Grant Shapps has said.

He ordered an urgent review and promised yesterday to find more planes for the Normandy event.

He insisted that the situation highlights why the Government is increasing defense spending to 2.5 percent of GDP.

Mr Shapps said: “I have no doubt we will have additional planes there.

“The A400s are being used in operations at the moment.

“It’s one of the reasons I argued, and argued successfully, for another £75 billion for our Armed Forces.”

The UK has 22 new A400M aircraft after the Hercules fleet was scrapped last year to save money.

The D-Day event, led by the King, will be attended by US President Joe Biden.

The jump is being held the day before the anniversary of D-Day, June 6, in honor of the deployment of airborne forces in the early hours before the beach landings.

The King paid tribute to those killed on the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy, which marked D-Day several weeks later.