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Royal Marines of 40 Commando taking part in PROJECT HERMOD LIVEX.

 

PROJECT HERMOD was a capability demonstration to mark the Defence Integrated Review (IR).

 

Taking place on RFA Mounts Bay and at Bovington training area, it displayed Multi-Domain Integration (MDI) within Defence as part of a transformation programme.

 

Trained for rapid worldwide deployment, the troops of 40 Commando are highly skilled, adaptable, and capable of combating a wide range of threats.

 

The unit are at the forefront of innovation as commandos go back to their roots as raiders from the sea and embrace new technologies to help their specialised operations around the world.

 

Since its formation in 1942, 40 Commando has served in every major British conflict, playing a pivotal role in several notable campaigns and operations.

 

Photos: LPhot Phil Bloor

 

Credit: UK Ministry of Defence 2021

 

Snow covered Aonach Mor and Ben Nevis peeking through the low cloud behind the Commando memorial

Royal Marines from 42 Commando take part in counter-piracy, anti-smuggling ops, and training local forces in the Gulf Guinea.

 

HMS Trents remit is to protect UK interests at sea, work and support our allies, assist British citizens, provide aid in the aftermath of natural disasters.

 

She has a flight deck and is armed with an array of weaponry, meaning she can support a range of operations, from counter-piracy to anti-smuggling.

 

@royalnavy

Double Dutch for Clyde-Based Commandos and Police

 

Royal Marines tasked with safeguarding Britain's nuclear deterrent have been testing their skills, alongside their Ministry of Defence Police counterparts, in The Netherlands during Exercise Gelderland Strike. The Scotland-based Marines – from O and P Squadrons at 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group RM – are trusted with the important duty of keeping Britain’s strategic nuclear deterrent safe, whether on a Vanguard-class submarine in and around the Clyde, or elsewhere in the UK.

The mission relies on the Royal Marines, MOD Police and other agencies working together, so a joint training exercise was the ideal opportunity to build the partnership and share tactics.

 

EXERCISE GREEN DAGGER 19.1

 

Pictured: LCpl Mann 54Cdo Sqn RE during an advance to contact.

 

As part of their Force Generation process and wider preparation for Lead Commando Group, 45 Commando Royal Marines deployed to America during Exercise Green Dagger. The exercise involved Live Fire Tactical Training (LFTT) and a Force of Force (FEX) exercise with two United States Marine Corps (USMC) Battle Groups (BG), conducted on an impressively large village complex. During the exercise 45 Cdo were stationed at Camp Wilson, located on the Marine Air Ground Combat Centre, a huge training complex of approx 100 square kilometres in the Mojave Desert. It was a great opportunity for the Commandos to meet and train with their American counterparts.

Australian Army special forces soldiers from 2nd Commando Regiment prepare to board a Sydney ferry from an Army rigid-hulled boat as part of a Special Operations Command maritime counter-terrorism training activity on Sydney Harbour, on Wednesday, 24 June 2020.

 

Exercise Mars Toothfish is essential Australian Army training that ensures the Australian Defence Force is ready to defend Australia and its national interests. The training activity was conducted using strict COVID-19 protocols.

 

The Mars series of counter-terrorism training activities are designed to build and maintain the skills of 2nd Commando Regiment's Tactical Assault Group - East (TAG-East), a short-notice counter-terrorist force, able to respond to a terrorist incident of national importance or in support of state and territory-based police.

 

2nd Commando Regiment is part of Special Forces Group, a brigade-level formation within the Australian Army's Special Operations Command. 

 

Photos: Cpl Sagi Biderman

Pictured is Marine John Allen of Alpha Company, 40 Commando Royal Marines with an Army Commando and a Marine patrolling in the river at Belize as part of Exercise Curry Trail. This exercise sees participants develop jungle warfare capabilities for Commando Forces up to and including live fire section drills. February 14, 2019.

Pictured: A Royal Marine from Zulu Company. 45 Commando on section attack training in Ravlunda, Sweden as part of their Baltic Protector Deployment.

  

Royal Marines from Zulu Company, 45 Commando have been honing their skills in the phase 2 part of Baltic Protector in the area of Rinkeby which is in the south west of Sweden. This involved section, troop and company level training.

 

Baltic Protector marks the first deployment of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) Maritime Task Group. A total of 3000 military personnel and 9 nations including the UK, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Norway and Sweden will contribute to the first major maritime training deployment of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force.

 

Credit: LPhot Joe Cater

Australian Army special forces soldiers from 2nd Commando Regiment prepare to board a Sydney ferry from an Army rigid-hulled boat as part of a Special Operations Command maritime counter-terrorism training activity on Sydney Harbour, on Wednesday, 24 June 2020.

 

Exercise Mars Toothfish is essential Australian Army training that ensures the Australian Defence Force is ready to defend Australia and its national interests. The training activity was conducted using strict COVID-19 protocols.

 

The Mars series of counter-terrorism training activities are designed to build and maintain the skills of 2nd Commando Regiment's Tactical Assault Group - East (TAG-East), a short-notice counter-terrorist force, able to respond to a terrorist incident of national importance or in support of state and territory-based police.

 

2nd Commando Regiment is part of Special Forces Group, a brigade-level formation within the Australian Army's Special Operations Command. 

 

Photos: Cpl Sagi Biderman

Norton 850 Commando lors de la bourse d'échange Auto Rétro de Gratentour

Australian Army special forces soldiers from 2nd Commando Regiment prepare to board a Sydney ferry from an Army rigid-hulled boat as part of a Special Operations Command maritime counter-terrorism training activity on Sydney Harbour, on Wednesday, 24 June 2020.

 

Exercise Mars Toothfish is essential Australian Army training that ensures the Australian Defence Force is ready to defend Australia and its national interests. The training activity was conducted using strict COVID-19 protocols.

 

The Mars series of counter-terrorism training activities are designed to build and maintain the skills of 2nd Commando Regiment's Tactical Assault Group - East (TAG-East), a short-notice counter-terrorist force, able to respond to a terrorist incident of national importance or in support of state and territory-based police.

 

2nd Commando Regiment is part of Special Forces Group, a brigade-level formation within the Australian Army's Special Operations Command. 

 

Photos: Cpl Sagi Biderman

EXERCISE GREEN DAGGER 19.1

 

Pictured: Members of Yankee Company 45 Commando during an advance to contact

 

As part of their Force Generation process and wider preparation for Lead Commando Group, 45 Commando Royal Marines deployed to America during Exercise Green Dagger. The exercise involved Live Fire Tactical Training (LFTT) and a Force of Force (FEX) exercise with two United States Marine Corps (USMC) Battle Groups (BG), conducted on an impressively large village complex. During the exercise 45 Cdo were stationed at Camp Wilson, located on the Marine Air Ground Combat Centre, a huge training complex of approx 100 square kilometres in the Mojave Desert. It was a great opportunity for the Commandos to meet and train with their American counterparts.

ROYAL MARINES GREEN DAGGER USA 2019

 

IMAGE SHOWS: A section of Royal Marines Commandos from Alpha Company 40 Commando sprint a large open space in an urban environment. Taken in California at 29 Palms on Ex Green Dagger 2019.

 

40 Commando Battle Group take on their US Marine Corps counterpart in a peer-on-peer scenario in the deserts of California. Their training took place in the excellent, and truly vast, range complex at Twentynine Palms (near the border of Mexico).

 

The Royal Marines have been invited by the Commandant General of the US Marine Corps to compete in a peer-on-peer warfighting scenario: “we must train the way we intend to fight. Training must reflect how we would fight a thinking adversary who can compete in all domains”. 40 Commando Battle Group have partnered with 7th Marine Regiment USMC as the adversary for; providing a commando force to be the lethal tip-of-the-spear to take on 2nd Marine Division (2nd MARDIV).

Whoops! She forgot her underpants!

Royal Marines of 40 Commando and Army Commandos taking part in PROJECT HERMOD LIVEX.

 

PROJECT HERMOD was a capability demonstration to mark the Defence Integrated Review (IR).

 

Taking place on RFA Mounts Bay and at Bovington training area, it displayed Multi-Domain Integration (MDI) within Defence as part of a transformation programme.

 

Trained for rapid worldwide deployment, the troops of 40 Commando are highly skilled, adaptable, and capable of combating a wide range of threats.

 

The unit are at the forefront of innovation as commandos go back to their roots as raiders from the sea and embrace new technologies to help their specialised operations around the world.

 

Since its formation in 1942, 40 Commando has served in every major British conflict, playing a pivotal role in several notable campaigns and operations.

 

Photos: LPhot Phil Bloor

 

Credit: UK Ministry of Defence 2021

 

Commando drill working in the way bottom of an excavation mine. (Canon EOS 350D)

British Royal Marines assigned to 8 Troop Charlie Company, 40 Commando Royal Marines.

 

The Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory executed Project Metropolis II ,a Dense Urban Operations limited operational experiment 2019 (DUO19) at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center (MUTC), Indiana.

The event aimed to effectively combine robotics, sensors, manned/unmanned vehicles, and dismounted Marines with a focus on improving Marines' ability to sense and locate the threat, observing their speed of decision making and speed of action, and determining their lethality when employing traditional and surrogate equipment versus an enemy force in a dense urban environment.

 

This experiment took Marines assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, a squad-sized element from 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, and British Royal Marines assigned to 8 Troop Charlie Company, 40 Commando Royal Marines.

The U.S. Marines and Royal Marine Commandos were divided into 'red' force and 'blue' force and engaged each other in a live force-on-force, free-play battle within a dense urban setting.

 

Photo: Matt Lyman

 

I'm not sure what to do with these guys. They are obviously B.A but I'm not sure weather to have them be Weird War II German snow troopers or British Tactical Commandos or what.

For now they are Snow Commandos

  

Pictured: 45 Commando Assault Engineers conduct Close Quarter Battle (CQB) training in northern Norway.

 

Royal Marines from 45 Commando have deployed to Norway for WINTER DEPLOYMENT 20 (WD 20).

The Arbroath-based Royal Marine Commando Unit are being put through their paces in the harsh Arctic conditions. As 3 Cdo Bde’s mountain and cold weather warfare specialists, WD20 will ensure that the Unit is ready in all respects to operate in one of the world’s most arduous environments.

As part of Ex CETUS, training for the Unit starts with the Cold Weather Warfare Course which teaches students the skills needed to operate in an Arctic environment. The course has three phases – survival, mobility and warfare, culminating in a final exercise which puts the newly-taught skills into practice. The Unit will then begin a period of Skills to Arms training, where each sub-unit will undertake their own bespoke training package, which includes working with other Royal Marine units and a variety of NATO allies.

WD20 will conclude with Exercise COLD RESPONSE, a large, multi-national NATO exercise which will build on from the success of BALTIC PROTECTOR 19. The exercise is spread over several weeks and will see Littoral Strike and Future Commando Force playing a key part, with the 45 Cdo Battlegroup operating from a variety of different platforms alongside other NATO partners.

 

Het 2 Bataljon Commando traint in Tsjechië

 

Het 2 Bataljon Commando (2 Cdo) is op zondag 1 maart vertrokken naar het militaire oefenterrein van Boletice, in het zuiden van Tsjechië. Daar trainen ze gedurende twee weken om zich voor te bereiden op hun deelname aan de snelle NAVO-reactiemacht (NRF), die in januari 2016 van start gaat.

 

De snelle reactiemacht van de NAVO bestaat uit land-, lucht- en maritieme componenten en uit Special Forces, die de alliantie over heel de wereld snel kan inzetten.

 

“We bereiden ons al sinds januari 2015 voor op onze deelname aan de NRF” zegt luitenant-kolonel Vincent Pierard, korpscommandant van het 2 Bataljon Commando “Onze eerste oefening vond plaats in het Nederlandse Amersfoort, waar we een stafoefening hielden.”

 

Na de training voor de staf van het bataljon is het nu de beurt aan de militairen op het terrein. De eerste week van de trainingsperiode oefenen de paracommando’s van het 2 Cdo op de uitvoering van sectie- en pelotonsaanvallen. Van vrijdag 6 tot zondag 8 maart bleven de militairen non-stop op het terrein tijdens een veldtrainingsoefening. Hierbij kregen ze verschillende scenario’s voorgeschoteld, zoals een explosievenopslagplaats die ze moesten ontruimen of gijzelaars die ze moesten bevrijden. De tweede week werden de compagniecommandanten op de proef gesteld. Van 9 tot 11 maart ontplooiden ze hun compagnieën op de schietstanden met lucht-, genie- en artilleriesteun.

 

“De komende maanden houden we nog verschillende oefeningen, zodat we klaar zijn voor de grote evaluatieoefening die de NAVO eind september organiseert”, vertelt luitenant-kolonel Pierard. “In november ten slotte nemen we deel aan een laatste oefening voordat onze standby-periode begint. Die zal plaatsvinden in Spanje en alle landen die deelnemen aan de NRF 2016 zullen er aanwezig zijn.”

 

Photo's: Daniel Orban

 

  

Pictured: 45 Commando Assault Engineers conduct Close Quarter Battle (CQB) training in northern Norway.

 

Royal Marines from 45 Commando have deployed to Norway for WINTER DEPLOYMENT 20 (WD 20).

The Arbroath-based Royal Marine Commando Unit are being put through their paces in the harsh Arctic conditions. As 3 Cdo Bde’s mountain and cold weather warfare specialists, WD20 will ensure that the Unit is ready in all respects to operate in one of the world’s most arduous environments.

As part of Ex CETUS, training for the Unit starts with the Cold Weather Warfare Course which teaches students the skills needed to operate in an Arctic environment. The course has three phases – survival, mobility and warfare, culminating in a final exercise which puts the newly-taught skills into practice. The Unit will then begin a period of Skills to Arms training, where each sub-unit will undertake their own bespoke training package, which includes working with other Royal Marine units and a variety of NATO allies.

WD20 will conclude with Exercise COLD RESPONSE, a large, multi-national NATO exercise which will build on from the success of BALTIC PROTECTOR 19. The exercise is spread over several weeks and will see Littoral Strike and Future Commando Force playing a key part, with the 45 Cdo Battlegroup operating from a variety of different platforms alongside other NATO partners.

 

The Commando Memorial is a Category A listed monument in Lochaber, Scotland, dedicated to the men of the original British Commando Forces raised during World War II. Situated around a mile from Spean Bridge, it overlooks the training areas of the Commando Training Depot established in 1942 at Achnacarry Castle. Unveiled in 1952 by the Queen Mother, it is one of Scotland’s best-known monuments, both as a war memorial and as a tourist attraction offering views of Ben Nevis and Aonach Mòr.

12th May 2021

 

Royal Marines from Bravo Company , 40 Commando preparing for Project HERMOD 2 on Bovington Training Area, Dorset.

 

PROJECT HERMOD 2 was a capability demonstration to mark the Defence Integrated Review (IR).

The Marines of 40 Commando have been utilising new equipment, technology, and concepts as part of the transition to Commando Forces and will display a capability demonstration to Members of Parliament and senior officers.

 

Trained for rapid worldwide deployment, the troops of 40 Commando are highly skilled, adaptable, and capable of combating a wide range of threats.

The unit are at the forefront of innovation as commandos go back to their roots as raiders from the sea and embrace new technologies to help their specialised operations around the world.

 

Since its formation in 1942, 40 Commando has served in every major British conflict, playing a pivotal role in several notable campaigns and operations.

 

Photos: PO Phot Si Ethell

 

Credit: UK Ministry of Defence 2021

 

  

Pictured: 45 Commando during fight phase of artic warfare training.

 

Royal Marines from 45 Commando have deployed to Norway for WINTER DEPLOYMENT 20 (WD 20).

 

The Arbroath-based Royal Marine Commando Unit are being put through their paces in the harsh Arctic conditions. As 3 Cdo Bde’s mountain and cold weather warfare specialists, WD20 will ensure that the Unit is ready in all respects to operate in one of the world’s most arduous environments.

 

As part of Ex CETUS, training for the Unit starts with the Cold Weather Warfare Course which teaches students the skills needed to operate in an Arctic environment. The course has three phases – survival, mobility and warfare, culminating in a final exercise which puts the newly-taught skills into practice. The Unit will then begin a period of Skills to Arms training, where each sub-unit will undertake their own bespoke training package, which includes working with other Royal Marine units and a variety of NATO allies.

 

WD20 will conclude with Exercise COLD RESPONSE, a large, multi-national NATO exercise which will build on from the success of BALTIC PROTECTOR 19. The exercise is spread over several weeks and will see Littoral Strike and Future Commando Force playing a key part, with the 45 Cdo Battlegroup operating from a variety of different platforms alongside other NATO partners.

 

Photos: LPhot Stevie Burke

 

Title: Commando Extraordinary.

Author: Charles Foley.

Publisher: Pan Books.

Date: 1956.

Artist: Gordon C. Davies.

 

Pictured are 40 Commando Royal Marines attacking Cilieni village at Sennybridge training area during Exercise Joint Warrior as part of the Joint Expeditionary Force exercise. May 3, 2018.

ROYAL MARINES GREEN DAGGER USA 2019

 

IMAGE SHOWS: A Royal Marine from Alpha Company 40 Commando peers round a corner during an urban compound assault in the Californian Desert. Taken in California at 29 Palms on Ex Green Dagger 2019.

 

40 Commando Battle Group take on their US Marine Corps counterpart in a peer-on-peer scenario in the deserts of California. Their training took place in the excellent, and truly vast, range complex at Twentynine Palms (near the border of Mexico).

 

The Royal Marines have been invited by the Commandant General of the US Marine Corps to compete in a peer-on-peer warfighting scenario: “we must train the way we intend to fight. Training must reflect how we would fight a thinking adversary who can compete in all domains”. 40 Commando Battle Group have partnered with 7th Marine Regiment USMC as the adversary for; providing a commando force to be the lethal tip-of-the-spear to take on 2nd Marine Division (2nd MARDIV).

Just running, jumping & shooting...

Royal Marine Commandos Practice Fighting Skills in Desert Heat

 

In the Mojave desert sands of California it isn’t the just the scorpions, spiders and snakes that can deliver a lethal bite.

 

For it is here that for the last six weeks the Royal Marines of 45 Commando have been honing their skills alongside their Dutch and US counterparts.

 

Based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Centre (MCAGCC) in 29 Palms, the Commandos have been living out of accommodation similar to air raid shelters while taking part in the annual exercise – Black Alligator.

 

Sergeant Paul McShannon said: “Black Alligator is an annual exercise that the Royal Marines use to hone their basic section level tactics all the way up to a live firing exercise and then the final exercise where everything they have worked on is put to the test.”

 

For the Combined Arms Live Firing Exercise (CALFEX) it was Yankee Company that, under cover of darkness, began a 12km 'yomp' over treacherous ground to form up by 5am and plan their assault.

 

Then two hours later, 7 Battery of 29 Commando who are usually based in Arbroath, started engaging enemy positions with 105mm rounds. This was followed by 81mm mortar fire from the mortar line using both high explosive rounds and smoke rounds, while snipers were deployed to take up position and take out high value targets as required.

 

The men of Y Company, who had stood poised and ready for the assault, made the 'break in' at 7.45am by placing an explosive charge. Using the ground to their advantage Y Company were able to put suppressing fire down onto the enemy position as a section of marines swept through, destroying all the enemy. And so, with typical Royal Marine determination, Y Company secured the first objective, leaving it to the Dutch Marines to secure the second.

 

Finally with supporting firepower from M1A1 Abrams Tanks, the Vikings and marines from W Company took the final position as F16s dropped inert 500lb and a 2000lb bombs – their objective completed.

Pictured:A Royal Marine from X-Ray Company, 45 Commando assault the final objective in Rinkenby, Sweden on Baltic Protector.

  

Royal Marines of 45 Commando have completed the final exercise in Rinkenby, Sweden as part of the Baltic Protector deployment.

 

Baltic Protector marks the first deployment of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) Maritime Task Group. A total of 3000 military personnel and 9 nations including the UK, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Norway and Sweden will contribute to the first major maritime training deployment of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force.

 

Credit: LPhot Joe Cater

A British Army Commando with 148th Battery, 29th Commando Fire Support Team, Royal Artillery, takes aim at an unknown distance target as part of a sniper training evolution during Exercise Burmese Chase 2013 aboard Camp Pendleton, Calif., Sept. 4, 2013. Burmese Chase is a bilateral training exercise designed to improve interoperability between U.S. and British military forces. Marines from 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company and British Army Commandos participated in the exercise. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Cody Haas/ Released)

  

Pictured: 45 Commando during fight phase of artic warfare training.

 

Royal Marines from 45 Commando have deployed to Norway for WINTER DEPLOYMENT 20 (WD 20).

 

The Arbroath-based Royal Marine Commando Unit are being put through their paces in the harsh Arctic conditions. As 3 Cdo Bde’s mountain and cold weather warfare specialists, WD20 will ensure that the Unit is ready in all respects to operate in one of the world’s most arduous environments.

 

As part of Ex CETUS, training for the Unit starts with the Cold Weather Warfare Course which teaches students the skills needed to operate in an Arctic environment. The course has three phases – survival, mobility and warfare, culminating in a final exercise which puts the newly-taught skills into practice. The Unit will then begin a period of Skills to Arms training, where each sub-unit will undertake their own bespoke training package, which includes working with other Royal Marine units and a variety of NATO allies.

 

WD20 will conclude with Exercise COLD RESPONSE, a large, multi-national NATO exercise which will build on from the success of BALTIC PROTECTOR 19. The exercise is spread over several weeks and will see Littoral Strike and Future Commando Force playing a key part, with the 45 Cdo Battlegroup operating from a variety of different platforms alongside other NATO partners.

 

Photos: LPhot Stevie Burke

 

Pictured are Alpha Company, 40 Commando Royal Marines conducting Close Quarter Marksmanship (CQM) in Belize as part of Exercise Curry Trail. This exercise sees participants develop jungle warfare capabilities for Commando Forces up to and including live fire section drills. February 8, 2019.

Royal Marines Winter Deployment 2022

 

Pictured are Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron (SRS) conducting live firing break contact using Oversnow Reconnaissance Vehicle (OSRV) in Norway during Winter Deployment 22.

 

SRS utilise the OSRV’s to assist their mobility to cover greater distances within the training area as they approach Ex Cold Response 22 on completion of the special to arms training.

 

Royal Marines have deployed to Northern Norway to carry out their traditional winter deployment in the Arctic Circle. Commandos will refresh skills in surviving, moving and fighting across the ice.

 

This year, Royal Navy ships will join Royal Marines for the large-scale Norwegian-led exercise Cold Response 22. This takes place in March and April with 28 nations and a total of 35,000 troops already committed to attending the exercise.

 

Photos: PO Phot Si Ethell

Royal Marines of 43 Commando train in various environment to test their skills in protecting the UK's nuclear deterrent.

 

Royal Marines have completed two weeks of rigorous training in the skills needed to protect the UK’s nuclear deterrent.

 

The marines of 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group are held at very high-readiness year round, guarding the nuclear deterrent carried onboard the Vanguard-class submarines based at Faslane Naval Base in Scotland.

 

These expert warriors must be highly-skilled in fighting in a range of close-quarter combat environments and two weeks of exercises at training areas around the UK ensured they are razor sharp for duties.

 

The commandos battled in a range of complex environments and challenging scenarios that ensure they are ready to safeguard the nuclear deterrent whatever the situation.

 

Major Steve Lewis RM, Officer Commanding R-Squadron, said: “Exercise Driven Defender provided R-Squadron, 43 Commando, an opportunity to conduct challenging role training in a variety of complex and novel training environments across the UK following the cancellation of the original US based version of this exercise.

 

“Through a mixture of agile planning and innovative training design R-Squadron delivered realistic, high-end training whilst remaining aligned with the fluid national COVID control situation. The training activity comprising dismounted, vehicle mounted, and Helicopter Assault operations extensively tested the participating highly skilled, specialist commando forces.”

 

Under the cover of darkness, troops fought through a multi-storey building in pitch blackness taking down any threats hindering their mission.

 

Using every trick in their book, together with rapid, relentless and overwhelming force, the marines successfully overcame all hurdles the ‘enemy’ had for them.

 

Following this, the commandos moved to a former bunker in the South West where they carried out training missions hundreds of metres underground in a network of intersecting passages and railway tunnels.

 

The commandos were told that a ‘high-value asset’ had been taken deep into the bunker and employing a range of their combat skills, were tasked with defeating their adversary and liberating the asset, combining technology and agile thought to produce success.

 

The Faslane-based marines followed this up with close-quarter battle training at Wakefield Armed Police College, moving to the target area as a Helicopter Assault Force via CH47 Chinook before clearing through buildings testing their method of entry abilities to provide operational assurance in built-up environments.

 

Not resting on their laurels, the commandos moved onto their next scenario which saw an enemy preparing to fly out high-value assets.

 

Observation posts were positioned and a recce was carried out on RAF Woodvale, on Merseyside, determining enemy movements and positions, calculating the best way of taking down the threat without risking the safety of the assets.

 

The following day at first light and again deploying as a Helicopter Assault Force via Puma helicopters, the commandos struck, taking the runway and securing the base before their adversary could leave with the stolen assets.

 

Quick Reaction Forces were tasked with clearing aircraft hangars and taking down well-protected enemy positions throughout the training area.

 

The exercise reached its conclusion with troops conducting close-quarters battle training, using simulated and live ammunition in Fort Blockhouse in Gosport.

 

This realistic and confined activity concluded an excellent and varied mission specific training package, ultimately assuring the security of the UK’s nuclear deterrent.

 

“This exercise has revalidated the high levels of knowledge, skills and ability required of each marine within R-Squadron allowing them to take their place with confidence delivering in support of the unit nuclear security mission,” added Maj Lewis.

 

23 October 2020

 

Photos: Royal Navy MOD/Copyright 2020

  

Pictured: 45 Commando Assault Engineers conduct Close Quarter Battle (CQB) training in northern Norway.

 

Royal Marines from 45 Commando have deployed to Norway for WINTER DEPLOYMENT 20 (WD 20).

The Arbroath-based Royal Marine Commando Unit are being put through their paces in the harsh Arctic conditions. As 3 Cdo Bde’s mountain and cold weather warfare specialists, WD20 will ensure that the Unit is ready in all respects to operate in one of the world’s most arduous environments.

As part of Ex CETUS, training for the Unit starts with the Cold Weather Warfare Course which teaches students the skills needed to operate in an Arctic environment. The course has three phases – survival, mobility and warfare, culminating in a final exercise which puts the newly-taught skills into practice. The Unit will then begin a period of Skills to Arms training, where each sub-unit will undertake their own bespoke training package, which includes working with other Royal Marine units and a variety of NATO allies.

WD20 will conclude with Exercise COLD RESPONSE, a large, multi-national NATO exercise which will build on from the success of BALTIC PROTECTOR 19. The exercise is spread over several weeks and will see Littoral Strike and Future Commando Force playing a key part, with the 45 Cdo Battlegroup operating from a variety of different platforms alongside other NATO partners.

 

Photograph shows a Royal Navy Sea King Mk4 helicopter being loaded onto a Royal Air Force C17 transport plane for its journey back to the United Kingdom.

 

The Royal Navy’s Commando Sea King helicopters completed their final mission in Afghanistan on 30th September 2011 and are now returning to the UK to prepare for further contingency operations and convert to the newer and more capable Merlin helicopter.

 

The helicopters, crews and engineers of 845 and 846 Naval Air Squadrons who are normally based at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in Somerset, have been deploying to Afghanistan in support of Operation Herrick since 2007. With the venerable Sea King MK4 due to be withdrawn from military service in 2016, the Royal Navy has withdrawn its small number of Commando Sea King MK4 helicopters from Camp Bastion in Afghanistan to be returned to the UK.

Photographer: POA(Phot) Mez Merrill

Image 45153324.jpg from www.defenceimages.mod.uk

 

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Pictured: HMS Albion’s embarked royal Marines from X Coy 45 Cdo RM operating in Estonia in the main amphibious element of Exercise Spring Storm 2023.

 

Royal Marines conduct beach raid in Estonia during NATO exercise.

 

Around 100 marines from 45 Commando conducted an exercise to stage an amphibious raid at a beach in Estonia, as part of a major NATO exercise Members of 45 Commando deployed from the Royal Navy amphibious assault ship, HMS Albion, under the cover of darkness on Saturday.

 

The commandos manoeuvred their Inflatable Raiding Craft, which can travel at speeds of up to 20knots, through the waves to close in on the beach at Kaberneeme, on the north coast of Estonia.

 

The beach raid is just the latest in a series of planned scenarios the UK Armed Forces are exercising as part of a 14,000-strong deployment from 11 NATO countries for Exercise Spring Storm.

 

The beach raid scenario saw 45 Commando facing off against Estonia’s Armed Forces, with an Estonian naval missile unit acting as the marines’ target.

 

Photo: LPhot Bill Spurr

Images captured show ranks from Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron (SRS) conducting live firing break contact drills on the Setermoenexercise areas, Norway. The training is part of 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines winter cold weather training package known as Exercise Cetus 14.

Wenger Commando Chrono.

 

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