Commandos impart maritime combat skills and tradition with South Korean counterparts
Members of the Republic of Korea's Navy Special Warfare Group (RoK NSW) have travelled to the UK to train with British commandos for the first time.
The two-week joint anti-terrorism and counter-narcotics exercise helped sharpen their tactical skills while bringing the two nations closer together.
Royal Marines from 42 Commando, who specialise in a range of maritime operations, including counter-smuggling, piracy and terrorism, and other UK operators from 47 and 29 Commando lent their expertise, and even imparted a touch of Royal Marines tradition.
The combined forces were tested on a series of realistic training scenarios, utilising raiding craft from 47 Commando and aircraft from the Commando Helicopter Force as they carried out boarding drills, close-quarter combat training (CQB) and fast-roping.
Throughout the intense fortnight, they planned and executed opposed vehicle seizures, special reconnaissance missions and raiding operations.
It marked the first time that ROK forces had participated in this type of training in the UK, and follows the Royal Marines' involvement in last year's exercise on the Korean Peninsula during Operation Highmast – the UK Carrier Strike Group's headline global deployment.
Tip of the spear
The personnel from 42 Commando involved were from the Special Operations Maritime Task Unit 10 (SOMTU), which is maintained at an exceptionally high level of readiness to deliver maritime special operations around the globe.
Operating from hubs on land or from ships, they can operate independently or integrate with partner forces.
Each SOMTU can provide one force protection team and two boarding teams, and can be bolstered with specialist capabilities including scout snipers, uncrewed systems, dive teams or explosive ordnance disposal.
The two forces were organised into three teams – assault, sniper and rapid reaction – conducting a maritime interdiction exercise in Portland Harbour before heading to Scraesdon Fort in Cornwall to carry out a raid from the sea, infiltrating the 19th century fort under the cover of darkness.
They then conducted a boarding of German replenishment tanker Rhön in the waters off Plymouth and spent time on Dartmoor at Foggin Tor, learning abseiling techniques taught by the Mountain Leader cadre.
And to round things off in true Royal Marines tradition, there was the leap of faith - a rite of passage for personnel stationed at 42 Commando.
This sees personnel leap from the rock into the cold waters below, nestled in the wooded valley at Plymbridge in Plymouth.
Invaluable insights and lessons
Officer Commando M Company, 42 Commando, Major George Eatwell described it as a privilege to host their Korean counterparts, having worked alongside them off the Korean Peninsula during Op Highmast.
"The chance to train once more with such a professional and dedicated Special Operations Force in the UK - rehearsing complex, integrated boarding operations and warfighting scenarios - truly demonstrated the strength and depth of our partnership," he said.
"The cross-training showcased our capability to plan and execute complex, high-end missions seamlessly integrated at the operator level, addressing shared challenges.
"While some threats may be geographically distinct, the nature of these challenges and the capabilities required to counter them are undeniably joint. We gained invaluable insights and lessons from each other throughout this collaboration."
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Oh Hyun-seok, commander of the Special Mission Battalion, said: "This training has confirmed the solid cooperation framework between Korean and UK special operations units and provided an opportunity to raise our practical coalition capability to a higher stage.
"We will continue to maintain the tactical capability to perfectly counter any terrorist threat in the future."
All imagery courtesy of the Royal Navy.
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