Royal Marines are preparing for their next Arctic deployment on Exercise Green Claymore.
According to a release, Arbroath-based 45 Commando are preparing to step off to the high north in January to continue the Royal Marines’ work in the extreme cold hundreds of miles inside the Arctic Circle.
“To get ready for the northern freeze, 45 Commando are undergoing unit mountain training, with extensive exercises focussing on navigation and conditioning for the Arctic in the Highlands, where temperatures have plummeted to a cool -15°c. It’s all staged out of Cameron Barracks in Inverness and consists of vertical assault techniques, traversing ridges using fixed lines, winter skill training (using ice axes and crampons), obstacle crossing, river cross skills (including wading).
It doesn’t end there, with cold weather warfare survival, first aid, casualty evacuation, specialist cold weather equipment training also built into the programme to form the building blocks for a successful winter deployment. All of this training is delivered by 45 Commando’s Recce Troop and has seen the commandos carry out a tactical crossing of An Teallach mountain, nicknamed the great wilderness, and navigation routes on the Fannichs range. “
Marine Michael Christie, a Mountain Leader Third Class in 45 Commando Recce Troop, said:
“We’ve had some fantastic days on the hill with Yankee Coy. We’ve experienced the first proper snow of the winter and conditions have definitely been testing – with wind gusting up to 50mph and the wind chill taking temperatures down to -15 degrees. It’s excellent preparation for the conditions we’ll experience in Norway.”
Royal Marines here, Royal Marines there, Royal Marines everywhere! How many are actually attending these events?