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In a world where Special Forces have become the linchpin of international military operations, there is one word that sums up reaction to recent operations of the Royal Marines Commandos: RESPECT. Originally formed in 1664, the Royal Marines have a proud yet poignant history. They emerged from an era of relatively low-grade, ill-used and often mistreated sea soldiers to be transformed over time into the elite force that exists today, capable of operating on any terrain or environment, against diverse opposing firepower, moving by land, sea and air or a combination of all three. And indeed, as these words were being prepared, the RM Commando units were in the process of a major restructuring under the project title of Commando 21, signifying a readiness to meet the new challenges that present themselves in the 21st Century.
A ten-year programme has been launched to include a vast upgrading of equipment and deployment potential, aimed at increasing the firepower and mobility of the Commando units so that, by 2010, they will have converged to create an outstanding Amphibious Force capable of handling National and NATO operations through to 2020 and beyond. The first stage of this progressive development to establish a diverse and multi-skilled Commando force, building upon the already well-established 'go-anywhere' traditions, has already been completed. The Commandos have been organised into what is described as a command, logistics, close combat and fire support grouping which represents a complete departure from traditional platoon and company organisation that has been the structure of British infantry units since the end of the Second World War. They will be equipped with new ships and small craft, aircraft, weapons, vehicles and state of the art Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) assets to maximise their deployment possibilities.
Not that the Royal Marines have ever been tardy in their progress into modern warfare. They were using flintlocks when other units were still carrying matchlocks, and through their history, from the days of King Charles II, they have been at the forefront of military activity around the world - so much so that the Globe itself became the insignia of the Corps. Theirs is a riveting story, one that is associated with key events in Britain's world-wide aspirations and conflicts. |
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Published in hardback June 2006;
paperback May 2007 |
