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The Royal Marines have carried out a covert commando raid launched from a German U-boat throughout the largest military exercise held within the Arctic to date this 12 months.
Commandos surfaced aboard the submarine U-35 in a distant fjord roughly 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
The troops – a part of specialist units designed to perform reconnaissance and direct naval gunfire from behind enemy lines – slipped silently away on inflatable raiding craft.
Once their mission was accomplished, they returned to the submarine and disappeared beneath the waves.
The exercise was a part of Cold Response 26 (CORE 26), a significant Nato drill involving 14 nations and greater than 25,000 personnel.
Led by Norwegian forces, the aim is to conduct cold-weather training and test defence concepts and the mixing of Allied Forces while showing presence within the region.
In addition to the UK, personnel collaborating include troops from America, Denmark, Finland and Sweden.
Around 1,500 Royal Marine commandos have been operating in northern Norway since January, increase to CORE 26.
The aim of the mission carried out on March 3 was to slide in unseen and remain hidden while reconnoitering ‘enemy’ positions. Commandos then called in naval gunfire from allied warships before making their getaway.
Specialist elements of the UK’s highly expert Commando Force: The Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron (SRS), Shore Reconnaissance Troop (SRT) and 148 Commando Forward Commentary Battery all took part.
SRS boarded the German U-boat using an Inflatable Raiding Craft and stowing all their kit before diving below the surface.
Once in position, they disembarked the boat under the guise of night to determine an remark post to permit 148 Battery to substantiate a goal to a partner force ship to execute naval fires.
The second in control of SRS, whose identity can’t be revealed for operational reasons, said: ‘Within the High North’s harsh and unforgiving domain, where extreme climatic conditions and adversary vigilance dominate, the power to covertly insert reconnaissance teams ashore via Inflatable Raiding Craft (IRC) launched from a submarine is indispensable.
‘It delivers the stealthy edge needed to penetrate denied areas, deny the enemy sanctuary, collect vital intelligence on subsurface and littoral threats and shape the operational environment before any escalation.
‘This insertion capability from below the waves provides critical initiative to Nato in one in every of the planet’s most strategically contested regions.
The UK and Norway have committed to stepping up their joint military partnership within the Arctic, as Nato allies look to strengthen security across the region against threats from Russia.
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