Royal Marines being given the chance to practise boarding ships at sea – on dry land

Building work is ongoing on the construction of a partial replica of a merchant ship for sailors and Royal Marines to practise boarding vessels at HMS Raleigh, the Ministry of Defence has said. 

The state-of-the-art modern training facility, which could not be provided by using a decommissioned ship, will be used to train personnel in a skill regularly used to intercept drug traffickers at sea. 

It comes after British forces and law enforcement were given permission in March to halt, board and detain sanctioned vessels from Russia's so-called shadow fleet if they pass through UK waters.

• British forces given authority to board Russian shadow fleet tankers in UK waters
• UK sends Cutlass-class patrol boat to help French intercept Russian shadow fleet tanker
• Captured sanctions-busting oil tanker seen in UK waters after joint US-UK boarding mission

The build

The facility, which will replicate a real ship's environment, will prepare crews for all the day-to-day challenges on a Royal Navy vessel. 

The partial replica is being built by VIVO Defence Services through design contractor Aecom and build contractor Obedair. 

The replica's frame has been completed, meaning the MOD can get onto the next phase, which includes the installation of the masonry external skin, cantilevers and external walkways. 

Alongside the steel frame construction, several enabling works have also been finished and the project is expected to be completed next summer. 

The boarding of vessels 

The Armed Forces and law enforcement officers have conducted interdiction training, Downing Street has said.

The scenarios covered include boarding vessels that "don't surrender, are armed or use high-tech pervasive surveillance to evade capture". 

In February, 42 Commando's Royal Marines conducted a night-time boarding operation on the auxiliary ship SD Northern River as part of a two-year extensive programme that will see them ready to deploy at the forefront of Nato's special operations, training for scenarios that could soon become a reality. 

The UK has supported allies, including France and the US, in operations to seize Russian-linked shadow fleet vessels over the past year. 

In January, UK military bases, an RAF P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft and the Royal Navy's RFA Tideforce were deployed to aid an American operation to detain the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera, previously named Bella 1. 

In the same month, a Cutlass-class patrol boat helped the French in their operation to board the Russian shadow fleet tanker Grinch, Defence Secretary John Healey said. 

The military has not yet boarded any vessels in UK waters since the forces were given the authorisation to do so.