HMS Lancaster's marines train with Kenyan counterparts in fight against pirates and terrorism

The Royal Marines have trained with their Kenyan counterparts to counter terrorists and pirates in the Middle East.

The Royal Navy's Type 23 frigate HMS Lancaster visited the Port of Mombasa where members of 42 Commando, who specialise in board, search and seizure operations, trained alongside Kenyan marines and shared their expertise.

"As two proud raiding forces, it is crucial to continue to share experiences and build interoperability to provide solutions to shared problems," said the Commander of the Royal Marines Boarding Team, Captain Will Hitchcock.

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"It is a privilege to train with the Kenyan Marine Commando Unit and to be ready for the 'fight tonight' as is the focus of both of our Commando units," said Capt Hitchcock.

During the visit, the Kenyan Marine Commando Unit (KMCU) trained alongside UK troops and learned about the tactics used by personnel on frontline operations.

Commander Chris Sharp, Commanding Officer HMS Lancaster (Port), said: "Our visit to Kenya is a fantastic opportunity for Lancaster's Royal Marines to train and exercise boarding operations with the Kenyan Marine Commando Unit, contributing to the UK and Kenya's joint commitment to improve regional stability and security."

Training exercises and collaborations like these are crucial in assisting the work of HMS Lancaster in policing the region's waterways and chokepoints.

The creation of the KMCU is a five-year partnership between the UK and Kenya to establish a self-sustaining training cycle through which the Kenyan Navy will be able to train their own marine commandos. 

In May 2023, KMCU personnel completed a rigorous training programme which largely mirrored that undertaken by the Royal Marines.