Commandos and air assault as a rapid reaction force

How closely do the Commando Brigade and 16 Air Assault Brigade work together?

They can combine effectively for rapid intervention, with airborne troops arriving quickly and Marines reinforcing them, but larger forces remain essential for major operations.

One rapid-reaction model sends paratroops by air before a nearby Marine company follows with heavier equipment. British intervention in Sierra Leone is the kind of operation in which the two forms of mobility can reinforce one another. Together, the companies create a visible tripwire that may deter escalation and buy time. That deterrent remains credible only if a full brigade or heavier amphibious force is available behind the initial deployment when the crisis outgrows the small reaction force.