350 Royal Marines from 45 Commando are deploying to Poland.
They will support the Polish military with joint exercises, contingency planning and capacity building as the build-up of Russian forces on Ukraine’s border continues.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the 350 Royal Marines would add to 100 British Army troops already in the country.
“In that spirit of solidarity and helping share each other’s challenges of resiliences we will add to those 100 Royal Engineers by sending a further 350 British troops to Poland in a bilateral deployment to show that we can work together and send a strong signal that Britain and Poland stand side by side,” Mr Wallace said.
350 @RoyalMarines from #45Commando are deploying to Poland, as announced by the Defence Secretary @BWallaceMP today.
They will support @Poland_MOD with joint exercises, contingency planning and capacity building as the build-up of Russian forces on Ukraine’s border continues.
— Ministry of Defence Press Office (@DefenceHQPress) February 7, 2022
Britain last year sent troops to Poland to help support it with a migrant crisis at its border with Belarus.
British military providing support to Poland amid border pressures
In addition, the two countries will share technology to develop ‘NAREW’, Poland’s future Ground-Based Air Defence System, which is anticipated to have a multi-billion-pound budget.
Britain and Poland to work together on Polish air defence system
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is due to visit Moscow soon.
Its good to show commitment but poor old Royal is spread dangerously thin on the ground right about now, with Norway and now Poland 45Cdo is looking a bit over committed.
However it’s also an arctic and mountain warfare trained formation, easily reenforced and highly prepared after the present exercise is completed in Norway..
It is our only mountain and artic warfare trained unit at the moment and with half in Norway and half in Poland can only do half a job in both countries. What is needed is more M&AW units to help relive the pressure put on 45. 42Cdo was up until recently 45s back up but that has now gone with 42 committed to fleet protection. There is a good parentage of 40Cdo who have undergone M&AW but the unit has not deployed to Norway for quit some time so would need a bit of time to get up to speed.… Read more »
How many marines are in each commando unit. This is about half of an I way off
Yes it is about half, at full strength, 45 should be at about 750 but just like the army it has been quite some time since they have been at full strength so deploy with around 650, with a few extra from the RMR units getting there guys M&AW trained.
Meanwhile everything the Russians have that floats seems to be heading for the Med. Two of their cruisers together in the same ocean for the first time in 6 years as the Ustinov passes Gibralter and their Pacific fleet ships are transiting the Suez canal at the moment.
French, Italian and US carriers have formed up into a fleet for protection.
Why would they need form up for protection there offensive force
The two Kirov class are specifically tasked with carrier killing each carrying 16 long range anti ship missiles.
I would imagine there’s few subs that in area would send Kirov to bottom quickly I’m not worried about Russian
We could best them we just need balls call there bluff
There is one Kirov that is operational, Peter the Great and that is an un-modernised 30 year old …Its a Slava in the med which has been modernised.
GB
“Its a Slava in the med which has been modernised.”
Weren’t they designed with the same mission as the Kirovs just conventional powered?
Our resident Ivan, JohnMK, who was insistent that the Russian ships were heading for Syria, seems to be AWOL.
So I guess 45 currently form the SLE? ( Spearhead Land/Lead Element )
Given their speciality for arctic ops I’m surprised they do not remove them from SLE tasking by PJHQ and let them get on with LRG(N) or dedicated Norway role, leaving SLE to another LI battalion.
The MoD’s “High North” strategy is allegedly going to be released soon. I’m curious what is in it considering a near total absence of Norway reinforcement in the FS defence review.
What we need is a properly organised and resourced Commando Brigade supported and manoeuvred by a dedicated LPH, a couple of LPDs and say four LSDs.
Of course that is obsolete and what we need is a couple of LRGs with no aviation support
Spot on with the aviation comment.
I don’t mind the forward deployed LRG concept and I get having smaller units responding in the Grey Zone. But if they want to do that they must do it properly!
That means enablers, aviation, firepower, boats, UAV, and so forth.
The usual dogs breakfast at the moment.
Hello Daniele, its not a pretty picture if you are looking from a UK perspective with only 45Cdo as it stands at the moment committed to the High North but the USMC have a substantial commitment to Norway although more committed to the protection of the Southern areas of Norway so tend to leave 45 to the Northern regions but you also have a small but dedicated Dutch MC contingent which oftern train alongside 45 in the High North also the Norwegians them selves who take the protection of Northern Norway and the Artic ocean area very seriously. It would… Read more »
You do realise the conditions in Poland are / can become, Baltic at the snap of a finger, right?
Are there enough? Nope.
Should the Army have released some 7 – 10k PIDs 10 years ago? Yep.
The ultimate infantry for this role, at the moment – be thankful for that.
“You do realise the conditions in Poland are / can become, Baltic at the snap of a finger, right?”
Nope, not been there, only to Tallin.
“The ultimate infantry for this role, at the moment – be thankful for that.”
Oh yes, I will be. Promise.
PID is an American expression is it not? We used to say ‘posts’ or ‘head count’.
By ‘released’ do you mean ‘let go’ ie transferred those 7-10k posts to the Royals? Not sure what you are saying here David.
You Sir, may be correct! I’m older than you, I prefer headcount, bodies, blokes.
However, yes, the Army hung on to headcount rather than allowing the RN, Royal and RAF to take them over.
On the bright side the Army have dropped overall headcount but increased Braid by 50ish.
David, the army came down from 160,000 to 120,000 regs at the end of the Cold War – this was controversial but was deemed to be the right size for the post Cold War roles. Since then it has been further cut multiple times but with no underpinning logic except to save money. Down to 102,000 then 95,000 then to 82,500 and now to 73,000. Where is this headroom you think exists or existed? The army has not hung on to headcount – ever – it has been cut 5 times since 1990. [There is also a silly myth that… Read more »
Sending a few troops to Poland ain’t gonna do much to stop a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Both Boris and Sleepy Joe know this.
They’re not meant to stop it. Neither is Ukraine a part of NATO.
However, if a potential enemy increases their readiness, massed troops on a border, increased air activity, many ships deployed in med/Atlantic, it is only right that NATO increases its readiness in response. Without giving Putin the obvious propaganda he craves saying NATO is escalating.
It must be proportionate.
Exactly DM👍
Are our light role forces sending the right signal?
Well they cannot accuse us of sending armour! Who knows. For me it is the right decision for now. If Russia was massing against the Baltic nations then, no, obviously. We’d have to meet it like for like best we could.
What would you do though? Sending thousands of troops into Ukraine could spark the very thing we are trying to avoid.
RobW wrote:
“What would you do though? Sending thousands of troops into Ukraine could spark the very thing we are trying to avoid.”
Rob, no NATO country is sending 1000s of troops to the Ukraine
Yes I know, but Dan seems to think we should do otherwise. Lord knows why. What a nightmare that would turn into.
not ever gunna stop it, its a nato trip wire to say, u do this and nato will answer with article 5. Not meant to scare him, its mean to say we are standing together
Hope they get better accommodation than the Russian troops have been given in the Crimea (i think)
It seems like Putin is turning Crimea into an ecological disaster zone. There are even suggestions that an invasion of the Ukraine is the only way for him to get enough fresh water to support the population.
Maybe Ukraine should look at creating a channel/canal for ships from the Asov to the Black Sea via the north so they don’t need to under the Kerch Bridge? Just a thought…
Its great we are standing side by side with a sovereign nation, defending their right to self determination and to choose their alliances (hey EU, you listening…) This being said – if Scotland decided to go it alone, we’d let them on the condition of a legal vote. If the Eastern regions of Ukraine and Crimea truly want to be Russian then there needs to be an internationally recognised means of accomplishing this. I don’t want us to be reinforcing a nation that is actually trying to supress a breakaway region that feels it has no other recourse of action… Read more »
Free and fair votes are impossible anywhere run by Russia. There hasn’t been a free or fair election there in almost 20 years.
Think of Donbas as the size and population of Scotland. Now do the people of Scotland truly want to leave the UK just because they keep voting SNP, or it is more complicated than that? Talking about “if the eastern regions….truly want to be Russian” is even more complicated. Voting at the wrong end of a gun barrel, no matter who is holding it, isn’t what most of us call free and fair. If thousands of people are dying all around you, the economy is non-existent and you are wondering whether your kids will grow up in a continual war… Read more »
Christ. I know 45 Commando are probably tailored to providing rapid reaction and working in cold weather conditions but proportionally what is The Army offering!
I don’t know about the army role. Do they not have regiments that have special training for certain terrain etc. Or is it just we go anywhere, anytime and get the job done? I would of thought the army would have wanted to get more in on the action. Even to deploy along side the marines just for the training perspective. Test some new kit etc. Practice moving everything needed for regiment deployments. The navy are of course always doing it as they use ships. The airforce regularly deploy outside of U.K. Say a full or half regiment with supporting… Read more »
Take a look at my answer to Challenger. The army committed troops from 2017 to Estonia and Poland in the aftermath of Russia’s annexation of Crimea to send a signal. Now more troops to Poland and troops also in Ukraine. 900+ army troops in Estonia; at least 300 army in Poland; 100 army soldiers in Ukraine plus possibly some SAS.The army is certainly getting in on the action and has been for the last 5 years. The army is always deploying on overseas operations and exercises – that is nothing new. In the days of Special Infantry Groups, there was… Read more »
According to the news, 1 x Para batt. Artillery, AD art, Apache and logistics…
A Battle Group in Estonia comprising 900 troops (a WR-mounted Inf Bn and a squadron of CR2s, together with allies).
A light cavalry sqn of 150 tps in Poland plus elms from RMP, Int Corps, RSigs, REME.
Both contingents deployed from 2017 as part of the enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) mission, Op Cabrit.
An unknown number of troops (200?) in Ukraine to train the Ukrainian army in operating the UK-gifted NLAWs, and to deliver basic infantry and medic skills and courses that counter attacks from snipers, armoured vehicles and mortars. Also some Sappers advising on border obstacles and defences.
It makes one weep … 350 Royal Marines to Poland, 350 German reinforcements to the Baltics … who takes this seriously? Unless the intent is actually to signal to the Russians that they have a total green light on Ukraine, this nonsense is almost impossible to fathom.
Read DM’s comment above.
Don’t agree. 350 Royal Marines are not “proportionate” to the entire Russian armed forces – which is basically what is assembling in Russia’s western regions and in Belarus. What 350 Royal Marines (and whatever other token forces the UK is deploying like one Rivet joint flying on a loop) symbolize is a country that doesn’t intend to do anything. In the end what the UK is doing is little different than what Germany is doing. And it is not going to deter Russia. So it is best to just stop pretending, because it just makes the Alliance look weak. So… Read more »
look nato far out guns russia militarily and economically, some thought is the west (uk/USA) are daring putin to do it because a costly ukraine war will result in sanctions the like of which have never been seen. At this point the rich and powerful that keep him in power will quietly replace him!
NATO states have zero will to engage Russia militarily and the only NATO state with sufficient power to really do so (the United States), is gobally overstretched. You are right that sanctions are the only real too NATO has, but Germany, for example, would have to face the loss of Russian gas so its will to do even that is unclear. Russia has $600B in currency reserves and it now clearly has strong Chinese support. NATO states, by their endless bluffing, have put themselves in a terrible position. I fear, the only thing that they can do now is cut… Read more »
NATO are probably quietly hoping Rus do invade because it will be a bogged down war of occupation for them, NATO does not have todo anything but supply the Ukraine and it does not have to give way to Putins demands , 150,000 troops is not enough to suppress the Ukraine entire population so what ever BS macron is selling to Putin will not go down well with other major NATO members.
The 2 things Macron has to sell is trying to force Kiev to follow through with the Minsk agreement which I don’t think he will succeed in but hopefully I am wrong, and doing some sort of written agreement where France (maybe with Germany and Italy) will never agree to more NATO expansion remembering all NATO countries must agree to new members. It will upset the US but that has never concerned the French
Sounds like you are subtly trying to divide there Ulya lol, Macron is feeding his ego and looked very silly sat opposite Putin in that very distant table all planned I’m sure. Well Putin super yacht is pulling out of its German port before it gets sanctioned looks like Putin is going ahead with the invasion to me.
There is nothing subtle about it at all, US/NATO response was predictable, it was always going to be talks with France/Germany/Italy that are important. To me European self interest was always going to be the deciding factor, they don’t want a war or loss of gas any more than we do. Any sanctions the US try to impose has interesting blow back on them all so. Even Biden attempt to find replacement gas for Europe is failing and at best will replace a small percentage but will increase prices.Very interesting times, one where the US has to step carefully.
I don’t see Macron as a diplomatic type who can assuage egos, clam hothead dictators down, create a deal and solve problems.
As always, and judging by previous wars, the brits will have their friends and allies fight for them while we ready ourselves for the big one. A token force thus deployed into Eastern Europe is to hone their skills not to be any major deployment!
It’s all a bit silly how NATO nations send penny packets of troops here and there to show ‘will’. NATO should divvy up it’s roles between it’s constituent nations by what they can do and where they are most effective. For the UK that would mean concentrating on the North Atlantic (Navy), fast air (defence and attack) and a large intervention force based upon the idea of going to Norway. The Dutch, Danes and Germans can do the Baltic States. Poland, France and the US AG Centre and the Italians, Spanish and Balkans AG South. Sending penny packets all over… Read more »
If (let’s all hope not) Ukraine is invaded, these small units serve two rolls, they will first act as trip wires, meaning any potential Russian incursion beyond Ukrainian borders will not only infringe NATO territory, it will directly engage Western European forces…
They will also act as reinforcement points, expect rapid mobilisation and deployment of troops to NATO’s Ukrainian borders and Norway, if the balloon goes up.
I would also expect Sweden and Finland to mobilise and petition for immediate NATO membership.
Morning John..these small units serve two rolls. Make mine a cheese and tomato, oh and a coke with lots of ice😂
Morning Geoff, glad you spotted my deliberate mistake, as Captain Mainwaring would say..😂😂
That won’t work.
How do you that (say) the Germans will not refuse to deploy apart from a field hospital and some helmets, until it is too late?
(Recognising, though, that they are now more in line with allies.)
Was it not (reaching back in memory) Belgium that refused to supply ammunition to the UK in the Falklands campaign?
When push comes to shove, ‘strategic autonomy’ is needed.
Rob,
Is there a big Russian fleet in the North Atlantic to counter and check?
I think we should certainly do flank protection for NATO (RM to Northern Flank; RN to eastern Med) but also deploy a sizable (two bdes/BCTs if we can manage it) armoured/mech force into the west of Germany as a strat reserve for NATO.
Plus SF as close as possible, of course.
Here’s a thought.All the major players have been responsible for sending young men and women into wars that end in death and injury-no one has a monopoly here. Sometimes these are justified and inevitable such as the fight against Hitler, but here is Putin, seemingly about to send tens of thousands of Russian youngsters to face young Ukranians, arguably their Kith and Kin, to fight a war..for what?? On what justification?? If it happens it is the act of a single psychopath that could end in the destruction of life on Earth as we know it! Such is the fate… Read more »
Does anybody know what optics are being used in the main picture ? Thanks.
L119A1 (C8) ACOG
It’s going to get mighty crowed in the Med.
Meanwhile Germany is sending Ukraine 5k helmets. lol