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Guardians of the UK’s nuclear deterrent train for critical mission
22 November 2024
Royal Marines who guard the UK’s ultimate weapon have sharpened the skills required to protect it alongside US Marines who do the same Stateside.
The marines of 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group are on duty 24/7 365 days a year, tasked with stopping unauthorised access to the UK’s strategic deterrent and the Vanguard-class nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines that carry it.
These specialist commandos are based at Clyde Naval Base in Scotland, from where the submarines operate, and are required to maintain extremely high standards in a range of combat skills – namely fighting in tight and closed-quarters combat environments.
A yearly exercise – named Tartan Eagle – keeps the marines from the USMC Security Force Regiment, based at the Atlantic and Pacific homes of the US Navy’s deterrence boats, Kings Bay and Bangor, and their British comrades razor sharp for their no-fail duties.
Tartan Eagle takes place in two phases – in the summer 43 Commando travel to Chesapeake in Virginia and Bangor, Washington, for an exchange with the Security Force Regiment and their Recapture Tactic Team.
Building on that is the autumn leg of Tartan Eagle in the UK, with two weeks of training taking place at Clyde Naval Base and at the Northumbria Range complex.
That second phase has just been completed, keeping marines – led by 43 Commando’s O Squadron especially – ready for operations and forging deeper bonds between the two Corps.
Major Jon Attrill, of 43 Commando, said: “This is a really important exercise for both us and the United States Marine Corps with a view to developing mission specific tactics.
“My role is to ensure the training is effective, proficient, and suitable to both Royal Marines and the United States Marine Corps.”
Captain Anthony Rossi, of the USMC’s Recapture Tactics Platoon, based in King’s Bay, added: “In the States we have the same mission as 43 Commando, so when do Tartan Eagle we learn each other’s tactics and we look at how we modify them.
“Tartan Eagle refines our tactics to make sure we’re as mission ready as possible.
“It’s a great exercise which allows us to bond with the 43 Commandos, so we can see our differences and similarities.
“It’s great for the marines to see somebody else from across the pond doing the same mission and likewise for 43 Commando.”
The exercise ensures both sets of marines are as ready and capable to be successful as possible in their mission – continually guarding and preventing unauthorised access to their nation’s strategic nuclear deterrent.
The first week of training focused on tactics, the second on the execution of their lethal abilities and the handling of their weapons systems – short-barrelled rifles designed for use in the close confines of a submarines or in buildings/urban environments.
Next year 43 Commando and the USMC Security Force Regiment will once again carry out Tartan Eagle, but also add a Closed-Quarters Battle course into the mix, with more instructor exchanges taking place.
All of this builds on the effective partnership between the two forces.