For the varied work they do Royal Marines need a big collection of equipment. In Afghanistan they need rifles, mortars and machine guns; for a beach assault they need landing craft and water-proofed kit.
Weapons and Equipment
Rifle The SA80 A2 rifle is the standard weapon for the Royal Marines, able to offer single shots or bursts of fire. Javelin The Javelin is a portable anti-tank weapon that can be used against hovering helicopters. Grenades Royal Marines use grenades to help achieve their objectives. GPMG The General Purpose Machine Gun can be used from a tripod or mounted on a vehicle, and is a gas-powered automatic weapon. It is capable of a sustained burst of fire.
The Dagger The Commando dagger is a light weapon which is less frequently used than other equipment, but is the a potent symbol of the Royal Marines. 81mm Mortar This weapon is operated by two Marines and has a range of more than 5,500 metres. It can fire smoke, illumination or high explosive rounds. 9mm Pistol This is a light weapon used for small arms combat. It weighes 1kg and when it is fired the recoil is used to reload the weapon.
