Young engineering graduates from across the UK defence industry have been working with the Royal Marines to develop new solutions for the challenges of future commando and amphibious operations. Some of the concepts may appear to be science fiction fantasies but it is important for the Corps to explore every possibility as it seeks to develop and innovate.
The Royal Marines are undergoing a period of transformation and the ‘Future Commando Force’ is now formally designated as an MoD programme, with Major General Charles Strickland nominated as Senior Responsible Officer (SRO). Part of this project will involve the incorporation of new technology to ensure the Marines retain their cutting edge when fighting in increasingly complex and high threat environments. There is an understanding that they need to look for ideas beyond just the accumulated wisdom and experience within the Corps.
UKNEST is a not-for-profit association that promotes the Engineering, Science and Technology interests of UK Naval Defence. Its member organisations include Lloyds Register DE&S, DSTL, the Royal Navy and UK Industry. Young engineering graduates from the UKNEST forum assembled at CTC Lympstone and were asked to consider how new technology could be used to assist an assault by Royal Marines on a clifftop missile position. Unencumbered by preconceptions about how amphibious warfare should look, they came up with a variety of concepts including
- Exoskeleton suits covered by a chameleon-like skin allowing wearers to scaling cliffs effortlessly, and blend with the environment.
- Ground effect ‘flying wings’ replacing landing craft, silently skimming across the waves at hundreds of miles an hour.
- ‘Holographic Marines’ to decoy the enemy.
- Helmets with displays providing Marines with the latest intelligence, battlefield info and details of a squad’s health and fitness levels.
- Small intelligence drones which feed the latest information direct to commandos’ hi-tech helmets.
- Larger ‘grunt’ drones armed with laser guns providing firepower or dropping ammunition, supplies and even small vehicles.
- Boots which harvest energy as the commandos move to power radios and other equipment.
- Rucksacks attached using magnets and fitted with energy damping to reduce the burden when marching.
- Portable 3D printers that find natural resources to make food in the field.
- Sleeping mats which can double up as 80in tactical display screens or solar panels to power hi-tech kit.
Major General Matt Holmes, Commandant General Royal Marines said “We can’t say how much or how quickly the reality of these visions will come to fruition. But what we can say is that if only 20 per cent of these ideas come to reality then we will be at the cutting edge of tomorrow’s technology.”
Initiatives like UKNEST are important, without a new wave of young engineering talent both the Naval Service and the defence industries face a bleak future. The average age in many UK engineering and shipbuilding companies is as high as 40 and there is an uphill battle to encourage enough young people to study STEM subjects. Projects that involve engineers thinking very creatively about front-line problems are to be encouraged. Not only is this enjoyable for the participants but helps those on the frontline think differently.
New technologies are already being trialled by today’s Royal Marines. Commando Warrior held in April 2019 was the first of a series of exercises experimenting with the integration of technology for the Future Commando Force. This was a pilot for the ‘Autonomous Advanced Force’, delivered by 1AGRM and QinetiQ supported by 40 Commando. They also participated in a 2-week exercise on Salisbury Plain to work on stealthy tactics on urban and rural assaults with an emphasis on using new technology for improved situational awareness. The challenge for the Marines is to decide which concepts are viable and worthy of further development using limited resources.
Ok what the hell! Cliffs have loose dirt! The suit wouldn’t work on most cliffs! Silent hover drones to carry troops up the cliff would be fa4 better than risking life with retarded chameleon suits that would only work on glass! We need to increse commando numbers.
I interpreted it as chameleon camouflage and augmented strength for climbing rather than simply sticking to the wall…
3/10. Well done for trying.
For blue-sky thinking, it’s a bit thin isn’t it?
iPhone charger in your boots and a TV in bed??
USSR did wing in ground effect (WIG) planes in the 1960s…
Some new equipment that would be ideal for the Marines is not so far away.
https://www.bellflight.com/products/bell-v-247
About 30 years ago I was trawling through the city library and I stumbled upon a Janes periodical; the soldier on the front had a rifle with attached laser that sent targeting information to the HUD of his full face visor, the helmet had electronic ears, there was a two cell VLS on his back to engage vehicles and he had on a pair of mine resistant boots.
But it’s good to kick ideas around, I’ve been following the exoskeleton thing for a while now and there are great possibilities there, even if it just gets pensioners to the shops and back (it would be nice to know we could mobilise them in a crisis though).
In the far future the RN will have enough escorts for the carriers
and enough sailors to man them. I know an impossible vision,
beyond the capability of modern Political-tech.
What is not made clear in the lovely pictures is, what you are looking
at is the entire Royal Marine Force, budgets being what they will be.
The MOD must be under the impression that Tony Stark is
a real person.
To me it looks like the start of Aliens with the space marines. Just need Sigourney Weaver strapping on her exoskeleton forklift outfit.
The generally awesome APC used by the colonial marines in Aliens was in fact a British Airways tug tractor (the things that move planes around at airports). I should probably be making some point about adopting civilian business models or remaining topical by saying how civilian engineering bleeds into military engineering and vice versa, but I’m actually just saying how generally awesome it was; have a look next time you watch the movie. Nemo
You might as well have asked children to come up with some Sci-Fi ideas as I didn’t see any engineering going on. I appreciate the need to look for new solutions but this does not seem the right way to go about it. Contact with civilian industry to find proven engineering solutions is something I am sure happens regularly anyway. This felt a little bit like a recruitment/PR stunt to increase the RN/RM’s visibility amongst graduates.
The last video (Future Commando Force) was pretty good showing some useful looking concepts but, genuine question, how do all of these unmanned systems which are firing out a near constant stream of EM energy remain stealthy? Or are they only for use against none peer enemies?
And if you are going to replace landing craft with “flying wings” at least fly the poor booties to the top of the cliff not the bottom :).
lols, I thought that too at first, but I think those landing craft are actually ‘ground effect vehicles, as per ‘The Caspian sea Monster’.
Thinking on, no I don’t know why they’re in the hanger.
👍 I don’t think too much effort was put into making these ideas a reality. But I am sure it was good social media publicity for the school leaving/uni generation.
Put down the comics and lay aside the Pl*ystation. Study nature. Natural life forms have been coming up with solutions to the problem of survival for millennia.
How about just applauding the foresightedness of the RM trying to look at ways of remaining relevant in a world where most people on this sight spend most of the time arguing about how much bigger the Royal Navy should be.
I am one of those people who also want a return to a balanced and well structured Royal Navy and British Military, but if you think the RN has been underfunded then you’d be shocked at how the RM (throughout the last 50 plus years) has been neglected and sidelined by ‘more important’ projects. In my experience (26+ years in the RM) the Royal Marines have been at the absolute forefront of Royal Navy operations worldwide, have represented the Royal Navy by the simple fact that its part of the Royal Navy and has kept them in the public’s consciousness and has enabled the Royal Navy to announce on many occasions that the ‘Royal Navy’ is deployed in areas where they wouldn’t normally/shouldn’t be (in other than medical/light logistic roles) This is quite ironic as The Royal Marines have in the past only been trumpeted as part of the Royal Navy when it suits the Royal Navy. In fact now more than ever despite lessons from history, the Royal Marines remain integral to delivering effect from the sea and for the well-being, guiding light of the RN through its esprit de corps and robustness.
It is refreshing to see that at last the Royal Marines are being given a chance and say in developing a role to which they are indelibly suited, and the fact that they have been able to carry out roles which they are not specifically suited is testament to their flexibility.
Let’s just be positive about this and hope that the ethos of the Corps seeps into the Naval mindset and returns the Royal Navy to a fighting force (its getting there) and not the risk averse force that would make Nelson turn in his grave.
The Royal Navy have an asset that not only provides over 40% of UK SF but has also proved itself to be the best bang for buck in UK defence. If this capability doesn’t evolve and develop then UK defence will be committing an unforgivable sin.
Luckily the new 1st Sea Lord seems to be on the same page. I can tell you that there have been many over the past 15 years that weren’t. And this was detriment to the whole RN!
Here is a concept for disrupting the mainstream Ship Hull design. Higher speeds, lower fuel consumption, ang unparalleled maneuverability are some features of this concept which is, BTW, patented.
An illustration PDF:
The official patent doc.:
Opinions and comments are welcome.
Why this day generation is so superficial? Everything for them is must be sexy, clean and work so ease… pathetic. Military gear is sexy because it is dirty, difficult and rarely works as it should. Things work because they train for them and not by them. So, put your gear, trust in your training, do what you should to do and delivery de job done.