It’s a mistake to cut the Royal Marines
By dint of its geography and global reach, Britain has a long history of amphibious warfare. This country’s expertise was forged as a naval power with a geopolitical imperative to defend colonial possessions and deploy land forces to continental wars. The end of empire and peace in Europe appear to have convinced Whitehall strategists that amphibious capability may no longer be as important as it once was. Rumours of cuts in the Royal Marines, as the Government undertakes another security review, have met little in the way of a credible denial.
A new report the Commons defence select committee offers a timely warning of what a myopic approach this would be. There is always a danger of prioritising capabilities that were important in past conflicts but which will be redundant in future wars; if we did that we would still have a cavalry. Modern warfare will involve cyber conflict, unmanned aircraft, drones and computer-controlled battlefleets. But it would be foolhardy for a maritime nation to skimp on, or abandon, its ability to conduct effective amphibious operations. These are no longer D-day-style beach attacks but covert landings of highly trained specialist troops, properly equipped and operating from purpose-built assault ships.
There is a deep concern that the manpower, the equipment or both could be cut, with specific threats to the strength of the Royal Marines and to the Royal Navy’s Albion class amphibious ships. The recent decision to separate defence from the strategic review being undertaken by Sir Mark Sedwill, the National Security Adviser, is an opportunity to think again and avoid a serious mistake. Although recruitment and retention remains high for the Royal Marines, the committee fears that the current uncertainty risks having an appreciable effect on their fighting power, training cycles, basing and morale. Moreover, at a time when the UK’S most likely military deployment is of special forces to tackle the terrorist threat, it is perverse to reduce the pool of potential talent. A high proportion of badged members of UK Special Forces are drawn from the Royal Marines.
Nor is it just about manpower. Amphibious operations need specialist assault ships, and the idea that the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carriers will fit the bill is misguided. The committee calls the purported approach “a short-sighted, militarily illiterate manoeuvre totally at odds with strategic reality.” The Government has been warned.