Nov. 1, 2023 | 9:29
A unique capability that is able to operate on different terrains under all weather conditions, the Marines are a vital NATO asset. As amphibious troops and able to bridge the gap between the land and the sea, they are held at high readiness to deploy rapidly if a crisis strikes.
Many NATO countries have Marine capabilities and they often train and exercise together in different Allied countries to hone their skills and practise working alongside one another. In this short documentary, we look at the Dutch and German Marines in Scotland, the Portuguese Marines on the rivers of Lithuania, the UK Royal Marines training in Norway, and NATO’s largest Marine contributor, the US Marine Corps, which exercises across the European continent.
—VOICEOVER —
They are perhaps one of any navy’s most renowned assets.
--SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH—
CPT ALEC TRIGGER
UK Royal Marines
“As amphibious troops, we bridge that gap from the sea to the land.”
—VOICEOVER —
They are mobile, amphibious and highly trained.
--SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH—
1st LT KATIE HOSS
United States Marine Corps
“It is a fighting force that is able to land in places where other conventional warfare cannot be handled.”
--VOICEOVER--
They are known under various pseudonyms. Devil Dogs, Bootnecks, Black Devils, Fuzos and many more.
--SOUNDBITE IN PORTUGUESE WITH ENGLISH SUBS—
LCDR ROBERT VIOLA
Portuguese Marine Corps (Fuzileiros)
“It’s important to trust each other. Only trust brings us success in our mission.”
--VOICEOVER--
They are deployable by sea and by air, and able to operate on different terrains under all weather conditions.
--SOUNDBITE IN DUTCH WITH ENGLISH SUBS—
1ST LT WOUTER
Netherlands Marine Corps
“We can be deployed from the desert to the mountains. And wherever there are people, conflicts can develop.”
--VOICEOVER--
They are the Marines.
--TEXT ON SCREEN—
NATO’S MARINE FORCES
--VOICEOVER--
The unforgiving fjords and mountains of Norway, where temperatures reach minus 35 degrees Celsius, is, for many, a landscape to be feared and avoided, but for the UK’s Royal Marine Commandos, it presents an ideal training ground.
--SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH—
CPT ALEC TRIGGER
UK Royal Marines
“The Royal Marines are Arctic specialists so we’re out here every winter honing these skills. And there’s a huge coastline up in Norway, so being able to operate from the boats adds so much to what we can do on the land.”
--VOICEOVER—
The relationship between Norway and the Royal Marines stretches back to World War 2, when British Commandos orchestrated a series of raids on the Nazi-occupied Norwegian coast.
--SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH—
CPT ALEC TRIGGER
UK Royal Marines
“The Royal Marines started as the infantry of the Navy and then developed quite a lot through World War 2 taking on that commando aspect. That’s the legacy of the Royal Marines.”
--VOICEOVER--
Norway and the United Kingdom are now close NATO Allies and for this group of Commandos, the freezing conditions on the Norwegian coastline present a challenging opportunity to conduct drills in their ORCs, or Offshore Raiding Craft.
--SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH—
CPT ALEC TRIGGER
UK Royal Marines
“So the ORC is our jet boat and we’ve got two variants. We’ve got the troop carrying variant, which can take six people and deliver them onto a beach, and then we’ve also got the fire support variant and that’s our kind of protection while we’re out on the water.”
--VOICEOVER—
In places and conditions like these, it wouldn’t just be the enemy that they’d have to contend with.
--SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH—
SGT THOMAS THORNTON
UK Royal Marines
“The temperature and the weather are obviously the biggest challenge out here, especially out on the water because we’ve got the wind chill as well as obviously the water freezes instantly as well. And if we’re heading off down the fjord in a boat group at like 30 knots into 30-knot wind it can quickly come down to minus 60 plus, so we’ve got to take that into consideration as well.”
--VOICOVER—
Some 1,700 kilometres away from the icy conditions in the Norwegian Arctic, the rugged cliffs and intricate bays of the Scottish coast present a different challenge altogether.
--VOICOVER—
For these Dutch Marines, training here enables them to practise tactical insertions and extractions in different conditions than they might find back home.
--SOUNDBITE IN DUTCH WITH ENGLISH SUBS—
1ST LT WOUTER
Netherlands Marine Corps
“Our motto, ‘Qua patet orbis’, ‘as far as the world extends’, means that we should be able to be deployed anywhere in the world in any terrain or weather conditions.”
--VOICEOVER--
First, they’re inserted via helicopter. Then they must make their way through the Scottish marshland to a beach extraction point, where a landing craft will take them back to their ship.
--SOUNDBITE IN DUTCH WITH ENGLISH SUBS—
1ST LT WOUTER
Netherlands Marine Corps
“In every operation, dangers can be just around the corner. Simple dangers like a changing sea state that makes disembarking a small landing craft difficult. In addition to that, you are simply going into enemy territory from a small boat. The enemy can see you coming from far away. That can make you very vulnerable.”
--VOICOVER—
But on this exercise, the Dutch aren’t alone. In a separate, amphibious insertion, they’re working alongside Marines from Germany.
--SOUNDBITE IN DUTCH WITH ENGLISH SUBS—
1ST LT WOUTER
Netherlands Marine Corps
“We ourselves, as a small corps within the Netherlands, will not have access to all the capabilities when we want to exercise, but the moment we can cooperate with the Americans or the Germans, who use more or different vehicles than we do, we can only increase our readiness in the world. So, I think that’s certainly an important aspect of working together in NATO.
--VOICEOVER—
Training exercises like this one allow Marines from different NATO nations to work together, learning each other’s techniques and practices.
And this kind of cooperation can be found all over the Alliance.
--VOICEOVER—
NATO Allies often host one another to maximise training potential. Here in Lithuania, the winding rivers and their dense tree lines present an opportunity for these Portuguese Marines to practise river-based amphibious landings.
--SOUNDBITE IN PORTUGUESE WITH ENGLISH SUBS—
LCDR ROBERT VIOLA
Portuguese Marine Corps (Fuzileiros)
“This is how the Fuzileiros, the Portuguese Marines, conduct an amphibious operation.
In phase one, we check all the material and equipment. We make our camouflage appropriate to the environment around us.
Phase two – At this stage, we will proceed with the movement of the Marine Corps using Zebro III boats.
Phase three – The reconnaissance elements will be sent through the sub-surface, thus ensuring their approach to the landing beach.
Phase four – At this stage, it is crucial that these elements can ensure the safety of the beach, so that the elements of the assault group can move forward.
--UPSOT—
Portuguese Marine in Portuguese
“This is RECON, beach reconnaissance complete, all secure, and ready to receive the assault group.”
Phase five – The assault group gets prepared and then they conduct an amphibious landing on the Zebro III boats.
Phase six – At this stage, all the elements are mobilised towards the objective area.
An amphibious raid requires surprise until the last moment. That’s why this kind of action needs to be short, surgical and concise.”
--VOICEOVER—
The biggest contributor to NATO’s Marine capability, with almost 180,000 active personnel, is the United States Marine Corps.
--SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH—
MAJ MATHIEU AMIRAULT
United States Marine Corps
“The Allied Marine community, we share a common heritage and history as soldiers of the sea. We are accustomed to having to be ready to pick up and move to a crisis area in a moment’s notice in order to meet and accomplish the mission.”
--VOICEOVER—
Training in European countries with European Marines strengthens the bond between the Marine forces from different continents and ensures that if a crisis was to strike, they would be able to work together.
--SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH—
MAJ MATHIEU AMIRAULT
United States Marine Corps
“We’ve been here since 1980 so there’s a legacy and history of cooperation with our Allies in the area. I’d say the best part of my job and the best days are when I get to either sit down with or work remotely with Marine and naval infantries across Europe.
--VOICEOVER—
And in a traditionally male-dominated branch of the military, the United States, in 2016, opened up combat roles in the Marine Corps to women.
--SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH—
1st LT KATIE HOSS
United States Marine Corps
“I myself am joined by a myriad of other females here in roles such as logistics, flight controllers, engineer, female artillery officer here, that’s just the officer side of things. On the enlisted side of things I have female truck operators, boat operators. Having more females to look up to as role models has been extremely empowering.”
--VOICEOVER—
It takes a special type of person to become a Marine.
--SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH—
CPT ALEC TRIGGER
UK Royal Marines
“What makes the Royal Marines special is the guys that are in it, the making things happen, the intelligent Marine who can think for himself and apply himself in a tough environment like this.”
--VOICEOVER—
A spirit of togetherness and camaraderie.
--SOUNDBITE IN DUTCH WITH ENGLISH SUBS—
1ST LT WOUTER
Netherlands Marine Corps
“You are part of a small select group within the military that can be deployed all over the world.”
--VOICEOVER—
They are one of NATO’s most respected assets.
--SOUNDBITE IN PORTUGUESE WITH ENGLISH SUBS—
LCDR ROBERT VIOLA
Portuguese Marine Corps (Fuzileiros)
“Being a Marine requires a spirit of sacrifice, requires dedication and determination.”
--VOICEOVER—
Ready to respond to any crisis, anytime.
--SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH—
1st LT KATIE HOSS
United States Marine Corps
“I am part of something that’s bigger than myself and I take pride in the fact that I’m doing something that so few other individuals choose to do.”
--VOICEOVER—
Our protection is their defining purpose.
They are the Marines of NATO.
This video includes Thomson Reuters copyrighted library material licensed by NATO, which cannot be used as part of a new production without the consent of the copyright holder. Please contact Thomson Reuters to clear this material.
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