Former top government adviser says Royal Marines need more investment to protect national security

The former UK National Security Adviser and honorary Royal Marines Reserve Colonel Lord Sedwill says the service needs more productive investment to protect the nation from future threats.

Lord Sedwill said Britain's military needs further expenditure as the world's conflict zones become ever more complex, but that the Armed Forces must be mindful of other demands on the taxpayer.

Speaking to Forces News' Briohny Williams, he explained: "Certainly, the Royal Marines are in the same situation as much of the rest of the military, the world is becoming more complex.

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"We are dealing with more crises – whether that's in Europe with the invasion of Ukraine… in the Middle East and there are potential hotspots elsewhere.

"We are going to have to invest more in our military. That's tough – there are many other calls on the taxpayers' money, but I think we're going to have to if we're going to protect our national security and that certainly means investing in the capabilities the Royal Marines need."

Lord Sedwill told Forces News the Royal Marines are evolving fast with the establishment of the Future Commando Force, which is designed to modernise the way Royal Marines operate.

It aims to enhance the way commando missions are carried out, offering the UK a force ready to deploy around the world immediately on tasks such as warfighting, combat missions, and humanitarian duties.

The programme could also involve persistent forward deployments and special operations, with the size of teams changing.

Lord Sedwill stressed the importance of the Royal Marines being present around the globe.

Given the importance of global tradeflows to Britain's economic prosperity, and the relatively high proportion of ex-pats in comparison with other countries, the former National Security Adviser said: "Global security matters to national security and our national economy and society.

"That means we have to be involved, and we have to be involved in the areas of the world where either our allies are operating, tensions are rising, where we are protecting freedom of navigation, international trade, dealing with humanitarian issues and so on.

"We need military forces capable of operating in those environments and doing everything – from operating in the desert or in the tropics or in the jungle to the Arctic, and the Royal Marines bring that capability."