Angus Royal Marines at vanguard of new era for commando force

Big birds in the Angus skies have been flying elite Royal Marines to battlecamp in a new era of commando operations for the Royal Navy.

The Bell Boeing V-22 Ospreys have caught the attention of Angus residents as RM Condor personnel embark on a three-month mission to the North Atlantic and the Baltic for Us-led exercises in Norway with allies.

They will participate in Nato’s Baltops, the largest multinational exercise in the Baltic Sea.

Arbroath base personnel are among more than 1,000 sailors and Royal Marines taking part in the first deployment of the Littoral Response Group (North) task group.

It is the first of two forces centred around Royal Marines and amphibious ships that will regularly carry out operations in areas of interest to the UK under plans announced in the recent defence review.

One will have a focus on European waters and the other will look to the east and south of the Suez Canal, providing reassurance to allies and deterring potential adversaries.

The task group is made up of amphibious assault ship HMS Albion, landing dock RFA Mounts Bay and also includes Type 23 frigate HMS Lancaster, Wildcat helicopters from 847 Naval Air Squadron, based at Yeovilton, and 30 Commando personnel alongside their 45 Cdo comrades.

Captain Simon Kelly, task group commander and commanding officer of HMS Albion, said it “will project a more sophisticated” and “lethal commando force”.

HMS Albion is part of the Baltic-bound task group.