Royal Marines to stage demonstration on the Thames for Netherlands state visit
On Wednesday 24 October, Royal Marine commandos will take part in a high octane demonstration on the Thames, along with their Dutch counterparts.
Members of HMS Montrose's boarding party taking part in Exercise Joint Warrior
As part of the state visit, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will attend the Dutch ship HNLMS Zeeland which will be anchored next to HMS Belfast.
They will join The Duke of Kent on board and will be given a 10 minute display of the Royal Marines and Royal Netherlands Marines staging a joint on water capability demonstration. Blank ammunition will be used during the display, which will take place on the morning of October 24.
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:
Our forces have worked closely with the Netherlands amphibious forces for more than 45 years, demonstrating world-class military integration.
Right now, our Royal Marines are working alongside their Dutch counterparts in Norway as part of the Defence Arctic Strategy, which shows our deep shared commitment to European security.
This state visit allows us to take stock and celebrate an enduring alliance with one of our closest defence partners.
Colonel Simon Scott OBE, Commanding Officer 1 Assault Group Royal Marines, said it would provide a realistic portrayal of a joint amphibious capability.
The display will be a short, sharp, clear demonstration of the joint amphibious capability provided by both 1 AGRM and the commandos from the Royal Netherlands Marines Corps.
We train and operate extremely closely with our Dutch counterparts and are well practiced in our collaboration.
The Royal Marines and Royal Netherlands Marines have a long history of serving together on operations across the globe, most recently offering humanitarian support to islands affected by Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean.
This year also marks the 45th anniversary of the UK/NL Amphibious Force, comprised of commandos from both nations, which acts as a single entity deployed in times of crisis across the globe.