As for the Future Commando Force and the Littoral Response Groups, I think that they were discussed at the recent Pacific Future Forum, and the idea is one of having rapid response forces that can they been reinforced, such as deploying the rest of 40 or 45 Cdo, combining both LRGs, sending a carrier group, and so on.



The discussion might on YouTube or similar.

Please can we have no more conspiracy theories about amphibious capabilities being cuts, or the Royal Marines being sidelined.

And now a Booty to be CJO - Gen Charlie Stickland. Lovely chap, will press the HQ hard though.

Has Charlie been announced? I couldn’t find that on the internet.

All very hush hush - and the worst kept secret ever. Happened today, probably hit the presses in coming days.

This is a rumour forum, please don't dictate to others how to use it. Some of us here have quite a lot of real-world experience (outside of Janes and Yootoob) in staff and joint roles and have witnessed the machinations of the dark blue machine. 1SL et al have proved to be very good at saying the right words and appearing to give with one hand while delivering a coup de grace to the back with the other.

You have still not explained exactly how amphibious capabilities are being cut.

Cutting 400 from the strength, closing Stonehouse and hijacking the bilateral relationship with USMC would be a start.

All the window dressing around FCF is to disguise these cuts. Those of us who remember Front Line First recognise 'restructuring' for what it is. At least we have carriers and lots of Dave though...

The last 'Future Navy' briefing I had was in September 2019, followed a few weeks later by one concentrating on manpower issues. You might have more up to date information than me.

Manpower cut - not great but how have RM numbers varied over the years? I seem to recall that they were increased during the years of Afghan operations, even though the wider RN had personnel numbers cut by five thousand in 2010, without any great thought to the future. Robbing Peter to pay Pail is not the best strategy, but the leadership has to work with what it has. You will note that other personnel measures includes cutting senior manpower to free up funds for junior personnel, and moving people from shore jobs to front line roles. I assume that this includes RM units as well as HM Ships and FAA squadrons.

Stonehouse - sorry to see it go, but other places like Chivenor got saved in the end, and masses of defence sites were cut at the same time. The last I was there it did look like it needed some work. Mind you - everywhere does!

Bilateral relationship with the USMC - worrying if it is true, but the entire RN has close relations with the US Navy and USMC. British and American amphibious units frequently exercise and work together. The USMC are also going through changes, getting rid of tanks and moving to a maritime future, and preparing for a renewed era of great power competition, and both maritime and air environments being contested. I have just come across this on LinkedIn - no idea how recent it is.

ROYAL MARINES IN THE US

Back in 2017 some in defence were trying to get rid of amphibious capabilities altogether, with the media types like Mark Urban claiming that they had not been used since 2003. I am not sure that the Royal Marines and wider amphibious capabilities could have survived in their existing form without FCF - which is closely tied with the renewed commitment to the North Atlantic, Carrier Strike, and Forward Basing. As for the carriers, I imagine that protecting amphibious forces was part of the original requirement, and is definitely a carrier role. An LPD or similar is a high value unit, particularly with a full load of troops, and something that needs protection from enemy aircraft, particularly missile armed ones, and submarines.

The RN has been committed to Continuous At Sea Deterrence, (continuous) Carrier 'Strike', and continuous Amphibious capability for as long as I can remember. All the current First Sea Lord has done is to respond to geopolitical changes by adding a renewed commitment to NATO (which includes amphibious forces) and forward basing (which also includes amphibious forces).

https://news.yahoo.com/uk-royal-mari...121424223.html

• US Marines recently took on Britain's Royal Marines in a battle simulation in the Mojave Desert.
  
• British commandos forced their US counterparts to surrender before half time, The Telegraph said.
  
• The Royal Marines went from controlling 20% of the battle area to more than 65%, the newspaper said.
  

US Marines were driven into submission by their British counterparts during a training exercise held deep in the California desert last week, according to a report in Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper.

Vortex, cuts can feel very personal but the fact of the matter is the the MOD is broke and has been for decades. It cannot afford current operations let alone keep un-necessary bases open. Stonehouse was slated for closure in the early noughties, well before the current CDS was on scene and my latest intel is that the closure has been shelved. The defence estate at Plymouth needed and still needs rationalisation. There are acres of wharfs and building unused and the decision was taken to rationalise the estate at Weston Mill and save the running costs of not just Stonehouse but other bases as well. Better to spend the money on deployable assets than empty barracks and offices.

During my time I saw the closure of:
HMS Mercury near Petersfield
HMS Caledonia in Scotland
HMS Daedalus in Lee on Solent
HMS Cambridge Gunnery facility
Sale of Rosyth dockyard (HMS Cochrane) to Babcocks
HMS Dryad that is now full of crabs and pongos
HMS Osprey at Portland
HMS Royal Arthur
HMS Vernon - now Gunwharf Quays
RM Barrack Deal
Closure of RAF Chivenor now full of RM
Closure of RM Deal
RNH Haslar
Closure of RAFs Leuchars, Wittering, Kinloss, Brawdy, Neatishead, Bebecula, Bentwaters,Brampton, Coltishall, Cottesmore, and many many others

In comparison the RM have not been doing too badly:
HMS Heron 3 BAS
RM Norton Manor Camp
CTC Lympstone
RM Poole
RM Condor, Arbroath
RM Tamar in the dockyard at PLymouth
Bickleigh Barracks
Chivenor as mentioned above
RM Instow
2 Queen Elizabeth Class with RM capabilities built in
HMS Albion and Bulwark purpose built for amphibious capability
25 Merlin Mk4 helicopters to support the Commando Force
A squadron of Wildcats and a host of LCU, LCVP, and other raiding craft