ROYAL NAVY
HMS Vanguard undergoing sea trials in 1945, with a speed of 30kts and a range of 9,000 nautical miles. She was scrapped in 1960, bringing to a close the era of the battleship
The Sea Soldiers – Royal Marines
way of life. Our maritime forces play the most significant part in protecting that freedom. At the same time, the world is becoming
more competitive and inter-dependent, while resources are limited and the distribution of wealth uneven. This imbalance, made worse by the global recession, is likely to lead to increased tensions both between and within cultures and nations. International governance and the
system on which it depends are likely to be challenged through resurgent national interests, terrorism and criminal activities such as piracy, narcotics and people trafficking. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, NATO, and the EU, the UK will continue, I am sure, to fulfil its obligations to play an influential role on the world stage. Our acute dependence on a regulated trading environment and our vulnerability to its disruption mandates that we do so. Remember that navies provide strategic
effect. The versatility and mobility of the naval service affords the government the principal means by which political and diplomatic leverage can be used as a deterrent. If necessary, decisive force can be applied without the need for extended engagement. Our Maritime Strike and Amphibious forces are key assets here and whilst maritime security remains the ageless responsibility of the Service, it
would be reckless to discount the prospect of full combat operations within the next 20 years; a timeframe that includes the realisation of the Navy’s equipment programme. International frictions will persist. There is much talk of new ways of war in the future; many ideas are gaining traction. They deserve our attention as operations
in the future in all environments, be they high intensity or not, will evolve and we must understand any new character of conflict. But I am confident that such changes will continue incrementally and evolution not revolution is our handrail. To this end we must continue to train, equip and prepare for high intensity combat operations with a clear focus on adjusting as future threats and trends evolve.’ •
The Royal Marines is a uniquely individual service both in character and operationally. During World War II some 80,000 men served in the Royal Marines, and they continued to operate at sea and in land formations, but 1942 saw the formation of the first Royal Marines Commandos. The 5 RM Commandos were among the first to land on D-Day, and two thirds of all the landing craft involved were crewed by Royal Marines. In 1982, the Royal Marines played a major part in recapturing the Falkland Islands from the Argentineans, and in 1991 they participated in the Gulf War, mounting a sizeable humanitarian task force – Operation Haven, in support of the Kurdish people of Northern Iraq. Of itself, the Royal Marines say: ‘There is a unity within the Corps that crosses all ranks and is unique to our organisation, and its outward sign is the Green Beret. Unity is bred into recruits and young officers at the Commando Training Centre by the proximity of their training together and by the shared hardship of the Commando Course; both not only share the same training and the same hardships but they see each other doing so. Unlike some other military training courses, Commando training stresses the importance of the team; com- pleting the 30-miler as a syndicate and finishing the 9-miler with the whole troop. Different ranks, a variety of jobs, but the overriding factor is the unity we share because we all wear the Green Beret.’ [source:
www.royalnavy.mod.uk/royalmarines/his- tory-and-ethos/ethos-beliefs/]
The Type 45 Destroyers will be the largest and most powerful air defence destroyers ever operated by the Royal Navy
www.armedforcesday.org.uk SHOW YOUR SUPPORT 29
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