UK In Action: Royal Marine Joint Patrol

A Royal Marine is pictured on patrol with an Afghan National Police (ANP) counterpart in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

img from UK MoD

By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: Storming the Beach

A trainee Royal Marine Commando from Lympstone leads other trainees after a beach assault from a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB), during an exercise at Bull Point in Plymouth. The Royal Marines are the Royal Navy's amphibious infantry and the United Kingdoms commandos. The Royal Marines began their existence as marksmen on the decks and rigging of warships. At present, they operate from the air and on land - anywhere from the Arctic Circle to tropical jungles - as well as maintaining their amphibious expertise at sea. Today 3 Commando Brigade possesses the inherent flexibility of an amphibious force, in particular the ability to project force across a potentially hostile shore without reliance on ports and airfields. The Brigade is essentially a light amphibious infantry brigade, with specialist extreme cold weather warfare expertise.

img from UK MoD

By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: Royal Marines in Afghanistan

A Royal Marine with Mike Company, 42 Commando carries a GPMG (General Purpose Machine Gun) during a patrol around Nad-e Ali in Afghanistan. Royal Marines from 42 Commando have officially taken over control of Nad-e Ali North district of Helmand province. Having arrived in Afghanistan and completed a final course of training and acclimatisation to prepare them for their six month deployment, the Marines headed from Camp Bastion to their base in Shahzad – which will be their home until October.

img from UK MoD

By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: Royal Marines Dustoff

A Royal Marine from 42 Commando (Cdo) is pictured in a poppy field as a Chinook helicopter takes off in the background. On the 15 May 2011 J Company went on a Helo Operation which proved to be successfull and locals were very friendly and accomodating in the area. J company flew in to the area at 0400in the morning under cover of darkness just before first light. Thereafter they proceeded to do a friendly, thorough, surprise search of all the compounds in the area.

img from UK MoD

By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: The Business End of a Royal Marine Commando

A Royal Marine from 42 Commando (Cdo) is pictured on patrol in Afghanistan. On the 15 May 2011 J Company went on a Helo Operation which proved to be successfull and locals were very friendly and accomodating in the area. J company flew in to the area at 0400in the morning under cover of darkness just before first light. Thereafter they proceeded to do a friendly, thorough, surprise search of all the compounds in the area.

img from UK MoD

By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: Royal Marines Small Arms

A Royal Marine from 40 Commando is pictured using an L129A1 rifle on operations in Afghanistan.

img from UK MoD

By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: Royal Marines Training At Sea

Having completed a successful ship boarding exercise, Royal Marines from Type 22 frigate HMS Cornwall leave the scene aboard the ship's Pacific 24 seaboats. Using boarding ladders, the marines practiced the hazardous process of embarking and disembarking a ship at sea. The Royal Navy is often required to board and search vessels that are suspected of breaking international law, usually either piracy or narcotics smuggling.

Image: UK MoD

By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: Sunset Gunners

Royal Marines of Bravo company are pictured in a Jackal Armoured Vehicle crossing a dusty Afghan sunset, as their tour in the country comes to an end. Bravo and Delta Company of 40 Commando, Royal Marines were conducting their final MOG (Manoeuvre Operation Group) in the desert at the end of Operation Herrick 12. The Marines were conducting a final push moving through the desert providing security and stability for the Afghan people within remote villages.

Image: UK MoD

By: Widow 6-7

Royal Marines Destroy Pirate Action Group

Another pirate mothership has been sent to the bottom by Royal Marines operating off the Somali coast.

WITH acrid black smoke billowing into the sky, the oil from several shattered barrels burns fiercely in the otherwise calm waters of the Indian Ocean. This is not the aftermath of a U-boat attack but all that is left of a ‘Pirate Action Group’, destroyed by the guns of the Royal Marines. In the background is their mothership, RFA Fort Victoria – a Merlin parked on its flight deck.

The combined ship-helicopter-RM force is executing Operation Capri, harrying pirates off the Somali coast. In this instance, Fort Victoria came across a suspicious whaler and sent her Fleet Protection Group boarding team to investigate. The commandos found a ramshackle boat crammed (a) with pirates and (b) piratical paraphernalia – boarding ladders; the crew admitted they had tossed their weapons overboard as the marines bore down on them.

Under interrogation, the pirates claimed to have been at sea for 45 days. The whaler’s engines had failed, food had run out and they had resorted to using a boarding ladder as a mast for a makeshift sail. The Royals confiscated all remaining pirate kit on the boat before blasting the decrepit whaler to kingdom come. The pirates escaped more lightly, being dropped ashore on the Somali coast.

By: Shelldrake

UK In Action: Royal Marine Can o' Whoop Ass

Royal Marine Commandos from Lima Company wearing Multi Terrain Pattern camouflage, are pictured onboard an Armoured Raider Craft during amphibious training on Exercise Auriga 10 in Virginia, USA.

Image: UK MoD

By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: Commandos in Afghanistan

A Royal Marine Commando from 40 Cdo, waits beside a Chinook helicopter on operations in Kajaki, Afghanistan.

Image: UK MoD

By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: Royal Marines Having a Laugh

A Royal Marine of 42 Commando jokes with comrades during Exercise South West Sword in the Solent, England. Cheerfulness Through Adversity is one of the qualities required to become a Royal Marine. This image was one of the submissions to the Royal Navy's Annual Photographic Competition the Peregrine Trophy 2010.

Image: UK MoD

By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: Royal Marine Boarding Team

A Royal Marine Boarding Team from Type 23 frigate HMS St Albans practice their boarding drills ahead of counter piracy operations in the Red Sea. Boarding a moving vessel in rough seas is a dangerous operation and one for which the Royal Navy's specialist teams are renowned.

Image: UK MoD

By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: Royal Marines Sporting New Kit

Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured (left) with the newly introduced L129A1 or Sharpshooter 7.62mm rifle and (right) an SA80 assault rifle. Both Marines are wearing newly issued Mk7 helmets and Mk8 Osprey body armour and are dressed in Multi Terrain Pattern (MTP) camouflage.

Image: UK MoD

By: Widow 6-7

MoD Reviving Military Tournament

The MoD is reviving the Royal Tournament, after an 11-year hiatus.

The event will take place in London's Earls Court, venue of the original tournament, and will include the same events, including the field gun race, in which teams compete to transport artillery pieces over a series of obstacles.
Other favourites, including the Massed Bands and the Musical Ride of the Household Cavalry will also return.

First held in 1880 - as British forces were embroiled in Afghanistan - the Royal Tournament became famous for its displays of military skill, especially horsemanship, and for its pomp and pageantry.

It ran until 1999, when it was axed by the Government, which cited financial constraints.

The tattoo, which used to be run by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), is being revived by ABF The Soldiers' Charity - rebranded from the Army Benevolent Fund earlier this year - which will meet the organisational costs.

The return of the event is supported by the MoD but, at least initially, will not be able to use the word Royal in its title, as it does not yet have the necessary patronage.

It was only in 1884, four years after it began, that Queen Victoria gave permission for the Royal prefix to be added to the title of the original event. The revived pageant will be called the British Military Tournament.

By: Brant

UK In Action: Really Cold Marines

Royal Marines of Whiskey Company, 45 Cdo rest before a live firing exercise in Norway, as part of their Winter Deployment.

Image: UK MoD

By: Widow 6-7

Surge In Afghanistan? Send In More Limeys!

In response to the heavy toll of casualties being racked up in Afghanistan, the Brits are discussing reinforcing the Sangin Valley.

Defence chiefs are drawing up plans to reinforce hard-pressed British troops in Sangin, an area they describe as one of the most dangerous in Afghanistan.

The announcement came after a Royal Marine from 40 Commando was killed on Sunday by an explosion near Patrol Base Blenheim, one of 30 bases and checkpoints manned by British forces in Sangin. The soldier was named last night as Corporal Christopher Harrison, 26, from Taunton, Somerset. It was his second posting to southern Afghanistan.

The Sangin valley is an important communications crossroads and commercial area of Helmand province. It is an opium poppy growing area and a centre of the narcotics trade.

Of the 40 British troops killed this year in Afghanistan, nearly half were patrolling in the Sangin district. 3 Rifles, whose battlegroup was based in Sangin, lost an unprecedented 30 men during a six-month Afghan tour which has just ended.

Troops there are vulnerable to increasingly accurate small arms fire by Taliban-supporting fighters as well improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. Royal Marines from 40 Commando were also approached last month by a suicide bomber aged between 12 and 14. The boy killed himself, and a Marine and an interpreter suffered minor injuries.

View Larger Map

By: Brant

UK In Action: Claymore Training

A Royal Marine plants a Claymore M18A1 anti-personnel mine during jungle training in Malaysia. The Claymore is a command detonated device meaning that if it is not used, it can be safely retrieved. Royal Marines from Charlie Company, 40 Commando Royal Marines were training in the jungles of Malaysia and Brunei. 40 Commando were in the Far East as part of Taurus 09, the Royal Navy’s largest deployment in over a decade. The jungle training culminated in a large exercise in Brunei, involving all Units of the Amphibious Task Force and bringing together air, sea, amphibious and jungle elements to demonstrate the Royal Navy’s ability to operate anywhere in the world.

Don't for get to read Steve's coverage of the claymore back in his Tools of War column.

Image: UK MoD

By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: Marines Storm the Beach

Members of Zulu Company, 45 Commando Royal Marines during an amphibious landing from various landing craft, as part of their Winter Deployment to Norway. Northern Norway played host to a huge NATO force of 20000 soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen from 14 countries. The UK’s contribution was a powerful amphibious Task Group led by HMS ALBION with Commodore Paul Bennett, Commander Amphibious Task Group at the helm. Monday the 21 Feb was an important day in the exercise when distinguished visitors gathered to see the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and Army units in action. The demonstration of combat power was centred on a beach landing where men and equipment were ferried ashore by Landing Craft and Helicopter. All timed to perfection, the visitors from both the UK and Norwegian Ministry of Defence, witnessed a coordinated assault.

Image: UK MoD

By: Widow 6-7

UK In Action: Royal Marines River Tactics

Royal Marines edge their way up river during jungle training in Malaysia. Royal Marines from Charlie Company, 40 Commando Royal Marines were training in the jungles of Malaysia and Brunei. 40 Commando were in the Far East as part of Taurus 09, the Royal Navy’s largest deployment in over a decade. The jungle training culminated in a large exercise in Brunei, involving all Units of the Amphibious Task Force and bringing together air, sea, amphibious and jungle elements to demonstrate the Royal Navy’s ability to operate anywhere in the world.

Image: UK MoD

By: Widow 6-7