Forces prove their skills on the river
MARINES PUT ON DISPLAY FOR ROYAL COUPLE’S VISIT
(75p/min + access charge) IT’S not every day that you will hear gunshots and see soldiers on speedboats storming the River Thames – unless they’re filming for the latest James Bond instalment.
But the display last week was not cinematic – it was down to a special demonstration from the Royal Marines.
As part of the Netherlands state visit, royals were given a 10-minute display of the Royal Marines and Royal Netherlands Marines staging a joint on-water capability demonstration.
Gunshots could briefly be heard during the exercise, though blank ammunition was used during the exercise between London Bridge and Tower Bridge.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima watched the display alongside the Duke of Kent, Prince Edward on board the Dutch ship HNLMS Zeeland, which has been anchored next to HMS Belfast between London Bridge and Tower Bridge.
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “Our forces have worked closely with the Netherlands’ amphibious forces for more than 45 years, demonstrating worldclass military integration.
“Right now, our Royal Marines are working alongside their Dutch counterparts in Norway as part of the Defence Arctic Strategy, which shows our deep shared commitment to European security.
“This state visit allows us to take stock and celebrate an enduring alliance with one of our closest defence partners.”
Colonel Simon Scott OBE, Commanding Officer 1 Assault Group Royal Marines, added: “The display will be a short, sharp, clear demonstration of the joint amphibious capability provided by both 1 AGRM and the commandos from the Royal Netherlands Marines Corps.
“We train and operate extremely closely with our Dutch counterparts and are well-practised in our collaboration.
“The Royal Marines and Royal Netherlands Marines have a long history of serving together on operations across the globe, most recently offering humanitarian support to islands affected by Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean.”
This year also marks the 45th anniversary of the UK/NL Amphibious Force, comprised of commandos from both nations, which acts as a single entity deployed in times of crisis around the globe.