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Northern Flank

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Mountain and Arctic Warfare

The Royal Marines developed new tactics and new technologies during their deployments in Norway.

During M&A W Training Marines learned how to move around, survive and fight. Marines learned the basics of skiing, making shelters, keeping warm and looking after themselves and Arctic combat.

One special skill was firing whilst wearing skis as the diagram below shows -

Firing from a kneeling position. Illustration from a 1972 handbook on Mountain and Arctic warfare training. (RMM)
Firing from a kneeling position. Illustration from a 1972 handbook on Mountain and Arctic warfare training. (RMM)

On a typical patrol the men would cover 25km a day whilst carrying around 30kg of kit. Due to the nuclear, biological and chemical weapons threat, the Marines wore special protective suits containing carbon-absorbent granules and carried gas respirators at all times.

The Commandos undertook special training for camouflaging themselves and spotting the enemy in Arctic conditions.

They also learned skills such as identifying what fire cover could be expected from different types of snow and ice.

Royal Marines preparing a meal inside their igloo during Arctic training exercises in Norway c.1970s. (RMM)
Royal Marines preparing a meal inside their igloo during Arctic training exercises in Norway c.1970s. (RMM)

Norway remained the major operational commitment of the Corps in the NATO theatre throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s.

Although the Cold War with Russia ended in 1990 the Royal Marines still maintain their Artic Warfare skills. The most notable non-Cold War example if their use was in the Falklands War, 1982.