Rebranding the Legendary Royal Marines

The Royal Marines are to undergo a complete rebrand, with a new maritime role and fresh combat uniform as it embraces the future by returning to its Second World War roots. It comes as commanders of the 350-year-old Corps seek to end the blurring with Army counterparts and adopt a more "commando raid" approach, with smaller units using hi-tech kit. Future Commando Force plans will see the green berets provide more direct support to Special Forces and be based onboard pre-positioned motherships, ready to strike in areas such as the Mediterranean and the Gulf. Other moves include the wider integration of autonomous platforms, such as remote controlled vessels and drones, while, at the tactical level, they are to be issued with a new digitally-enhanced camouflage combat uniform which will be distinctive to them.

Though only some Royal Marines now have access to the superior Colt C7 rifle, the move will see it rolled out to all members and mark the Corp’s ditching of the standard-issue SA-80. As part of the push to return to its maritime role, discussions are currently underway to change officers' rankings to match those of the Royal Navy, rather than British Army, though this is still under review.

What has been decided, however, is that they will retain their iconic green beret and cap badge. “The scale and ambition of our transformation is significant. Nothing is off-limits and we aspire to be at the cutting edge of defence,” said Royal Marines Commandant General Major General Matt Holmes.

Senior sources confirmed that the new “force distribution” policy was inspired by recent US Marine Corps guidance. Ironically, however, it will mark the green berets’ return to their original “commando” roots. Currently the regiment uses concentrated force to pit its strength against an enemy’s weakness.

Under the new plans, to be phased in over three years, it will adopt a more “special operations” approach by using more and smaller units, complimented by technology such as the use of remote controlled boats to set up a decoy while another unit speeds ashore with a remote-operated UAV to help identify their targets.

As part of this the basic Royal Marines unit, a Troop, will be reduced from 30 commandos to 16. The regiment currently operates one specialist maritime unit, 42 Commando, which is deployed in small groups in areas such as the Gulf and mounts maritime interdiction operations against piracy and to protect shipping from potential Iranian attacks in the Strait of Hormuz.

But now Maj-Gen Holmes wants the entire 3 Commando Brigade - the Royal Marines' main fighting arm - to become a special operations force, similar to its USMC counterpart. It means more Royal Marines are to be based on new Littoral Strike ships - announced by former defence secretary Gavin Williamson - and placed on high readiness in areas of tension to mount rescue operations and assaults.

The Ministry of Defence has already dedicated £35m to developing two new vessels, one to be based East of Suez and the other covering the Mediterranean, which are to be rolled out in five years. Each will contain a company - or strike force - of 120 commandos and up to six helicopters, possibly three “heavy lift” Chinooks, a Wildcat and two Apache gunships.

In the meantime a new amphibious task force, headed by Commodore James Parkin, has just been launched. Until the Littoral Strike ships arrive, it will operate from the amphibious assault ships HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, as well as the fleet's Bay class landing ships.

There are still several challenges to work out, sources say. These include securing communications in a hostile environment, especially at long range; resupplying troops on the ground, possibly using the experimental Malloy Aeronautics delivery drone (currently already undergoing U.S. trials); developing ship-to-shore connectors to cross a water gap and overcoming enemy action faced by an insertion team on a 150 nautical mile at a fast 60 knots.

Maj-Gen Holmes said that the future operational environment will demand more persistent forward deployment resulting in “constant competition”’ from potential adversaries from the Arctic to the Middle East, and rapid response to crises. “The new littoral strike force will be active, not just ready," he said. “I need agile, robust commandos able to operate an array of systems to win the fight, if necessary, in a denied (hostile) environment.”

A Royal Marines spokesperson said: “The Royal Marines are a distinct but integral part of the Royal Navy and work is ongoing to reinforce their role as an effective maritime fighting force. “The Future Commando Force will harness cutting edge technology to be an effective maritime infantry force using innovative, potent, elite fighting capability. They are and will remain a distinct but integral part of the Naval Service. “There are no plans to change anything that denotes the strong history and identity of the Royal Marines, including the Green Beret.”