Last year, the Royal Marines unveiled a new uniform as part of their transition into a Future Commando Force equipped with long-range uncrewed aerial vehicles, throwable robots and wearable technology. Harry Lye checks out the new kit.

Last summer, the Royal Marines announced trials of new helmet-mounted cameras designed to aid decision-making, which feed back live images of operations to improve situational awareness.

The network system and cameras were acquired by MarWorks, the Royal Navy’s information technology specialists, with the help of Visual Engineering. The cameras are connected to the Royal Marines’ new mobile network radios allowing for live-streaming of footage.

At the time of the trial, MarWorks programme manager Dave McInerney said: “This sort of challenge is exactly why technology accelerators such as MarWorks were established.

"We take a problem from the user community, try and find an affordable technical solution. If it is off-the-shelf that's great, but when it’s not quite there we can work with industry, big and small, to develop a solution that meets the users’ need.”

In June, the Royal Navy revealed a new uniform for the Royal Marines made by US-based Crye Precision. Procured through NATO, the uniform is lighter and more durable than the Royal Marines’ previous kit.

The new uniform, which uses Crye Precision’s MultiCam pattern instead of the legacy multi-terrain pattern used by the Royal Marines, includes a windproof and water-resistant jacket, new high-strength utility belt, knee protection and

It features a number of throwbacks to the Commandos WWII era origins, including a red and blue ‘Royal Marines Commando’ flash drawn from the force’s roots. The new uniform has the White Ensign on one sleeve, a nod to the Future Commando Force’s push for closer integration with the Royal Navy in the future.

Helmet cameras

Last summer, the Royal Marines announced trials of new helmet-mounted cameras designed to aid decision-making, which feed back live images of operations to improve situational awareness.

The network system and cameras were acquired by MarWorks, the Royal Navy’s information technology specialists, with the help of Visual Engineering. The cameras are connected to the Royal Marines’ new mobile network radios allowing for live-streaming of footage.

At the time of the trial, MarWorks programme manager Dave McInerney said: “This sort of challenge is exactly why technology accelerators such as MarWorks were established. We take a problem from the user community, try and find an affordable technical solution. If it is off-the-shelf that's great, but when it’s not quite there we can work with industry, big and small, to develop a solution that meets the users’ need.”

Crye Precision uniform

In June, the Royal Navy revealed a new uniform for the Royal Marines made by US-based Crye Precision. Procured through NATO, the uniform is lighter and more durable than the Royal Marines’ previous kit.

The new uniform, which uses Crye Precision’s MultiCam pattern instead of the legacy multi-terrain pattern used by the Royal Marines, includes a windproof and water-resistant jacket, new high-strength utility belt, knee protection and

It features a number of throwbacks to the Commandos WWII era origins, including a red and blue ‘Royal Marines Commando’ flash drawn from the force’s roots. The new uniform has the White Ensign on one sleeve, a nod to the Future Commando Force’s push for closer integration with the Royal Navy in the future.

As part of the Royal Marines’ trials of new kit, commandos in Gibralta tested ‘throwbots’ designed to transmit live video to commandos and help battlefield decision-making.

The throwbot can be thrown around corners or over obstacles and remotely controlled to safely get a picture of confined spaces and identify potential threats that may not be immediately obvious.

Commenting on the trials, Royal Marines Lieutenant Charles Roberts, Commander of Anzio Troop, P-Squadron said: “It [the throwbot] can give the marine and tactical commando on the ground that extra bit of initiative to make decisions quicker and better. It is all about making the marine as operationally effective as can be.

“As members of P-Squadron, 43 Commando, we conduct nuclear security missions. Part of these operations involves working in an urban, maritime and industrial environment. Close-quarters battle and close-quarters marksmanship are the tactics and techniques most suited to the mission.”

The small throwbots can be thrown over 130ft, be submerged in water, and be dropped over 30ft safely without breaking.

In Cyprus, the UK’s Littoral Strike Group tested the benefits of using heavy-lift Malloy Aeronautics UAVs to resupply commandos on operations while they are in the field.

The Malloy systems can carry loads of up to 60kg over a distance of 70km, meaning commandos could be resupplied from ships at sea and stay deployed for longer.

During the exercises in Cyprus, the quadcopters were used to carry food, ammunition and other supplies while commandos fought through ruins.