Royal Marines. Photo: © Crown Copyright 2012

Royal Marines from HMS Northumberland taking part in an exercise in Bahrain.

HMS Monmouth has returned to Bahrain over the New Year period after a busy time at sea. This has given the Shipís company time to recharge batteries and ready themselves for the challenges of the New Year in the Gulf.

Among the crew of HMS Monmouth is a detachment of 9 Royal Marines, whose skills as an amphibious force are second to none and are vital for HMS Monmouth’s tasking at sea. One of the major roles performed by the Marines is to conduct boarding missions against possible pirates and smugglers and they used their time alongside to visit the ‘Ship in a Box’ facility owned by the U.S Coast Guard, to hone these skills.

The idea of the facility is to recreate a portion of a ship in which ëroom clearanceí drills may be practiced and perfected with a great sense of realism. The weapons used in the facility are high powered air soft and range from rifles, shotguns and pistols and they really pack a punch. So much so that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) must be worn when magazines are fitted and rounds are flying.

*MoD Consent Form held by photographer*
*** Local Caption ***