British Military Current Events

[Kirkhill]

No disagreements.

I would suggest that the Royals, the USMC and the Brit Army are still adhering to triangular movement. Currently, with the future uncertain, they are advancing with one up and two back. They are holding 2 out of 3 units in conventional form while pushing forwards with something a bit more unconventional (Future Commandos, Littoral Marine Regiments, Army Special Operations Brigades and Security Force Assistance Brigades). At they same time they seem to be open to beefing up their deep games.

Yes, they are still training for conventional war but do they know what conventional war will look like?

And, with respect to Gray Zone Conflict - how do the yellow card rules hold up when engaging little green men in third countries? Whose rules apply for the ASOBs and SFABs?

 

[daftandbarmy]

No disagreements.

I would suggest that the Royals, the USMC and the Brit Army are still adhering to triangular movement. Currently, with the future uncertain, they are advancing with one up and two back. They are holding 2 out of 3 units in conventional form while pushing forwards with something a bit more unconventional (Future Commandos, Littoral Marine Regiments, Army Special Operations Brigades and Security Force Assistance Brigades). At they same time they seem to be open to beefing up their deep games.

Yes, they are still training for conventional war but do they know what conventional war will look like?

And, with respect to Gray Zone Conflict - how do the yellow card rules hold up when engaging little green men in third countries? Whose rules apply for the ASOBs and SFABs?

Our understanding was always that whatever you do outside the borders of the UK could cause you to be held to account by a judge internal to the borders of the UK.

Go beyond that 'Legal Pale' at your personal and professional peril

 

[Kirkhill]

Which is less ambiguous? - Engaging with a drone deployed Griffin? Or a soldier deployed .338 Lapua Magnum? Who is most likely to be prosecuted?

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Join the army and see exotic places

https://twitter.com/x/status/1393500361843953668

 

[daftandbarmy]

Join the army and see exotic places

https://twitter.com/x/status/1393500361843953668

STANTA... spent many a week there. Wonderfully miserable weather, nothing like Mali

Alot of pre-NI training was done there for the units destined for rural tours. I ran the enemy force for one unit, that shall not be named, who had a hard time.

We would wait until dark and then I'd run the whole company, in civvies, about 10 miles around their OPs to appear, Zulu like, from the dark mists as an unexpected howling mob to attack their HQ area as rioters. They were terrified of us.

They had TV crews embedded, to film interviews etc, and they'd play the footage in front of the whole unit at nightly debriefs. They captured the pure horror as we showered them with bottles etc. and caught their CO exclaiming 'bloody unsporting!'.

I'm guessing that will be a cake walk compared with Mali though. Tough tour probably ahead for these 'seemingly pleased with themselves' folks.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I fear the young lady`s opinion of UN ops is about to be shattered.

 

[CBH99]

The Royal Marines really are doing a top notch job with their social media. Wow!

I've quite enjoyed watching this series on their transformation into a very technologically sophisticated, small unit type of organization (moreso than they have been in the past) to what they want to evolve into. These videos have been quite good, IMO.

 

[daftandbarmy]

The Royal Marines really are doing a top notch job with their social media. Wow!

I've quite enjoyed watching this series on their transformation into a very technologically sophisticated, small unit type of organization (moreso than they have been in the past) to what they want to evolve into. These videos have been quite good, IMO.

Interestingly, 29 Commando is the gunner regiment for 3 Cdo Bde, and they don't spend much time talking about the guns on this video.

 

[FJAG]

Interestingly, 29 Commando is the gunner regiment for 3 Cdo Bde, and they don't spend much time talking about the guns on this video.

Yup. They spend more time talking about the US Marines' HIMARS than their L118s. Perhaps hinting for better, more expensive kit?

 

[daftandbarmy]

Yup. They spend more time talking about the US Marines' HIMARS than their L118s. Perhaps hinting for better, more expensive kit?

Yeah, good luck with that.

They're bloody good gunners, who have all completed the All Arms Commando Course, not Royal Marines.

Why they want to try and fool people into thinking they're some kind of 'shape shifting' ninjas is just bizarre.

 

[CBH99]

The RM Commandos seem to be embracing a more traditional role of commando/raid style operations, and getting away from some of the COIN type stuff we've all been engaged in for quite some time.

After watching some of their videos and reading their plans to transform their organization both in terms of units and technologically, they seem quite keen to reinvent themselves to face future threats. And these videos, I find anyway, are a great way for them to advertise the changes they are trying to make, and change the way they are perceived.

The large quad-copter drones they used while exercising in the US were pretty cool. Being able to have the drones bring in an ammo resupply, or even fly a casualty out.

 

[IRepoCans]

Yeah, good luck with that.

They're bloody good gunners, who have all completed the All Arms Commando Course, not Royal Marines.

Why they want to try and fool people into thinking they're some kind of 'shape shifting' ninjas is just bizarre.

Looking at the video they really only showed (and talked about) a particular battery that does a lot of that shape shifting ninja kind of work; however, they also tend to do a lot of work with them and the shaky boats; and, you gotta sell the army side of the Commando capability.

I am curious to see what kind of fires support they dream of acquiring for 3 Cdo Bde, what they realisticly expect to get, and eventually... what they actually get.

 

[dimsum]

They're bloody good gunners, who have all completed the All Arms Commando Course, not Royal Marines.

ELI Air Force - 29 Cdo are not part of the Royal Marines, but are British Army arty attached to them?

 

[daftandbarmy]

ELI Air Force - 29 Cdo are not part of the Royal Marines, but are British Army arty attached to them?

Yes. Royal Marines staff the Infantry component of 3 Cdo Bde.

They man the Commando units, which are like Light Infantry Bns (45 Cdo, 40 Cdo, 42 Cdo, etc). The SBS are manned by Royal Marines who have previously served in one of the Commandos, and who must also pass SBS selection.

They are supported by Arty (29 Cdo), Engr (59 Cdo), the Log Regt and other elements, staffed by Army personnel attached to 3 Cdo Bde. There is a large Army and RN (and some RAF) complement in the 'Corps' as they call it. There's a SOF type NGFS mob as well, all gunners.

All Army personnel, as well as Navy and RAF members attached, must successfully complete the All Arms Commando Course before being assigned to a 3 Cdo Bde unit. For example, even though I had already completed P Comany and had served in the PARAs for several years prior to being attached to 45 Cdo, I had to complete the AACC (Green lid, PARA cap badge, excellent way to give the lads in Aldershot a heart attack). On my course we had air crew, RN Dentists, RN medics, Education Corps Officers, Sappers, Gunners, Craftsmen etc. Pass rate? Less than 50%.

The Royal Marines complete the same course, but do it as the last 5 weeks of their 30 week recruit training program at Lympstone. Royal Marine Officers, also trained at Lympstone during a 1 year program, complete the same Commando Course during their training as well but, to pass, they have to complete the Commando Tests faster than the recruits.

3 Cdo Bde HQ looks kind of like a Star Wars bar as a result, with a wide variety of arms and services represented because: United We Conquer

 

[FJAG]

29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[dimsum]

air crew, RN Dentists, RN medics, Education Corps Officers

Wow. Imagine if we had to do that too.

Comman-TDO.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Wow. Imagine if we had to do that too.

Comman-TDO.

Some of the non-combat arms types were excellent. I had a Navy dentist in my section, a 6ft 4in asian guy from London, who was a fanatic. Didn't have a clue how to wear his fighting order and bergen, but a fanatic nonetheless.

In addition to the Commando Tests, they all had to lead or participate in recce and fighting patrols under fairly extreme conditions during various FTXs.

 

[dapaterson]

This explains British dentistry to a T.

 

[daftandbarmy]

This explains British dentistry to a T.

Precisely.

For some reason, all the RN dentists I met in 3 Cdo Bde looked like either rowers or rugby props.

 

[dimsum]

For some reason, all the RN dentists I met in 3 Cdo Bde looked like either rowers or rugby props.

Probably because the non-rowers/rugby-prop dentists took one look at 3 Cdo Bde and said: