Royal Marines test their mettle alongside emergency services in Scotland

Faslane-based 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group are on duty 24/7 365 days a year, primarily tasked with protecting the UK’s strategic deterrent and Vanguard nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine.

They are highly-trained in combat in closed-quarters and tight confines, making them ideal partners for police firearm officers and other emergency agencies when responding to incidents.

Together with ambulance, fire and rescue and police teams, 18 marines were lifted by Chinook helicopters from the RAF’s 28 Squadron to the home of Scottish rugby, Murrayfield Stadium.

There they responded to a simulated firearms incident, reacting together with the ultimate aim of increasing understanding and enabling emergency services and the military to operate seamlessly together.

Captain Joseph Martin RM, a Training Officer at 43 Commando, said: “This has been a really interesting exercise working across colleagues in the emergency services.

“The teams have had the opportunity to work in unique places they wouldn’t normally get to operate in and learn from specialists across different fields.

“This is definitely an exercise we’ll be looking to run more regularly to build capability and integrate more closely with partners.”

The marines worked with counter terrorism specialists from Police Scotland as they dealt with a series of threats before extracting via helicopter.

There were also a series of other training and exercise evolutions during the week at Tulliallan Police College in Stirling.

43 Commando were offered this opportunity by the Army’s 51 Brigade which was part of a wider exercise known as Kukri Dawn that prepares Chinook aircrews for front-line duties through realistic training scenarios.