Wading into waning light: Exercise Joint Warrior

The fluorescent lights instantly cast blue shadows over the men as they stepped out of the stairwell onto the launch deck. With a murmur of radio chatter, a whispering of orders and lining up side-by-side to face a steep ramp, the marines made their final checks before stepping off.

Rifles in hand the company climbed through and down a hatch into a small beach-landing craft. As they did so, the radio chatter was replaced with hailstones clattering against the ceiling, blue shadows replaced with a gentle red tinge and rough waves chopped against the side of the boat as they slowly emerged from within the bowls of the huge ship they had just departed from.

Under the bright stars of the Scottish Highlands the silhouettes of the craft drifted towards land and at the drop of a ramp, the marines splashed quietly into the sea and waded ashore. Their dark camouflage only visible against the star-lit sand for moments before they slipped into the darkness to carry out their mission.

A Dutch Marine preps his kit before deploying to the landing site

These were the scenes as Dutch Marines, driven by Royal Marines, undertook a beach landing in the early hours of the morning as Exercise Joint Warrior got under way. The exercise takes place twice a year across the UK giving great training benefit to NATO allies and partner nations.

Over ten thousand multinational troops from thirteen NATO nations, plus Australia are taking part in the annual exercise based in the UK. The training is designed to strengthen the alliance’s ability to work alongside each other, meaning we will be better prepared to preserve the peace, prevent conflict and protect our people around the globe.

British Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen will continue to integrate with their multinational counterparts throughout Exercise Joint Warrior which concludes mid-April.

The troops gather on the deck ahead of their night-time mission.

A Royal Marine briefs the Dutch.

A Dutch Royal Marine Platoon Commander awaits the landing craft to take his Platoon back to the ship after a successful mission.

Marines embark on the landing craft after a successful mission on land.

A Dutch Marine keeps watch over the landing site.

To find out more about the UK’s role in NATO, Click Here.