Team History

The Royal Navy Parachute Display Team, The RN Raiders, was initially formed in 1983, to conduct parachute displays for Naval Establishments in the Portsmouth Area. There was a similar team in the West Country based at the then RN&RM Sport Parachute Association in Devon, and the Royal Marines Freefall team based in Poole, so there was a fairly strong parachuting fraternity in the Royal Navy.

Dropzone Closure

In the past few years, however, the RM Freefall Team has been disbanded and the Parachute Centre at Dunkeswell has been closed, leaving the Raiders as the only surviving Royal Navy Parachute Display team. A number of former Dunkeswell and RM Freefall Team parachutists now regularly jump as members of the Raiders. The team now trains at various military and civillian parachute centres throughout the UK, though its permanent home dropzone is now JSPC Netheravon. Other dropzones used include JSPC Weston on the Green, Skydive St Andrews and the Devon and Somerset Parachute School.

Increased Support

In previous years the team jumped using their own personal parachute equipment, however during the year 2000 the Raiders were given a generous grant by the Director of Physical Training and Sport at HMS Temeraire, allowing them to purchase 4 custom made display parachutes. Additional funding from DCC(N) over the past 2 years has allowed the equipment holding to rise to 7 full sets of display equipment.