Royal Marines from the Fleet Protection Group at Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde took to the Gareloch last week to practise the boat formations that make them one of the most feared fighting forces on land or sea.
The Fleet Protection Group, who are tasked with protecting the ships and submarines alongside at the naval base, operate a variety of craft including off-shore raiding craft, twenty-eight-foot (8.5m) rigid inflatable boats, Mk III rigid raiding craft, and even jet-skis.
The different vessels provide the Royal Marines with a high degree of flexibility, meaning that they have the speed, power and manoeuvrability to deal with any potential threats on the water.
The Fleet Protection Group was originally known as the Comacchio Group and was formed in the 1980s as the only operational Royal Marines unit outside 3 Commando Brigade.
Today, the Group is over 500-strong and is made up of three rifle squadrons (O, R and S) plus a headquarters squadron.
As well as protecting the vessels at Faslane, specially trained teams are regularly deployed at short notice to help support the Royal Navy around the globe.
Tasks have included force protection in the Middle East, the Far East and in Africa, as well as conducting non-compliant boarding operations to help enforce UN resolutions in the Gulf.
Royal Marines from the Group have most recently been deployed on operations in Iraq and the Gulf, providing specialist teams to carry out boarding and protection duties.
