CIVILIAN aircraft will be used to help paratroopers earn their wings.

The Ministry of Defence plans to bring in Skyvan aircraft to allow soldiers in the Colchester-based 2nd and 3rd Battalions, the Parachute Regiment, part of 16 Air Assault Brigade, to complete their training.

Paratroopers are paid an extra £5.35 a day for their airborne skills, but many are missing out.

In order to pass the training, new paratroopers have to undertake a month-long parachute course of eight jumps.

There are an estimated 100 new recruits who cannot get their wings because there are not enough Hercules aeroplanes to be used in training.

In addition, existing paratroopers have to perform at least one jump a year and many are unable to do this because of the lack of aircraft.

Bernard Jenkin, MP for North Essex, said: “This is typical of over-stretching in the Armed Forces.

“The Parachute Regiment’s core skills are degraded because resources are being concentrated on frontline operations and unless we make the Armed Forces bigger and spend more, we are going to keep finding gaps in key defence capabilities.

“They are called the Paras because they can parachute into battle – if they can’t do that, one wonders why they are called the Paras.”

Many of the aircraft are at work in Afghanistan or helping with the recovery operations in Iraq.

By the end of the summer, the Ministry of Defence hopes to have Skyvan aircraft, used in civilian parachute jumps, available for troops to use.

Lieutenant Colonel Neil Sexton, an Army spokesman for the Ministry of Defence, said: “Operations remain our number one priority and, sadly, some parachuting has had to be interrupted.

“I am pleased we are making inroads into the back-log of untrained Paras and the imminent reintroduction of Skyvan planes to conduct parachute training will drastically improve the situation.

“This does not affect our operational capability and there are no plans to cease military parachute training.

“Parachuting remains a key part of our defence doctrine in order to ensure our forces remain agile and adaptable.”

Ministry of Defence sources said the Skyvans would provide enough parachute drops for every Para in 16 Air Assault Brigade.

The aircraft will initially operate from RAF Brize Norton but it is flexible enough to operate from any airstrip.

Each Skyvan can hold 14 Paras in their full fighting kit and because it can operate from a grass landing strip, it has a rapid turnaround between jumps.