The Royal Marines of 42 Commando have spent a week on the firing ranges of Jordan as part of their Cougar 13 deployment. Using .5 calibre heavy and general machine-gun around 160 commandos from Mike Company, 42 Commando have practiced in the ranges of south-western Jordan, just north of the port of Aqaba.
The 42 Commando men, from Bickleigh barracks near Plymouth, were joined by their comrades from 30 Commando IX Group and a logistic task group for Exercise Jebel Dagger. The combined 42 Cdo–30 Cdo force is part of the Cougar 13 deployment involving the UK Response Force Task Group.
After the first set-piece major exercise – Albanian Lion – held in Albania in early September, many of the RFTG ships and units have broken away from the main task force to conduct different exercises.
The emphasis of Jebel Dagger was on light infantry training, with some motorised support in the form of RWMIK Land Rovers – Weapons Mounted Installation Kit, with the R the latest variant of the trusty off-roader.
42 Commando are the Royal Marines Lead Commando Group; the three RM commando groups, 40, 42 and 45 take it turns for a year at a time, ready to move around the world at five days’ notice should the Government require their services.
They are using the four-month autumn deployment to the Mediterranean and Middle East to hone their amphibious skills as well as train with as many different foreign military units as possible. Jebel Dagger is the second time in a matter of weeks Royal Marines have been hosted by Royal Jordanian Forces.
Not far from the Al Quweira ranges, the Sea Kings of the Commando Helicopter Force spent a month over the summer operating in the desert and around the mountains of the Wadi Rum before they flew to join their Cougar ships.
The Response Force Task Group comprises four warships and five supply ships; they left the UK in August to conduct exercises with partner nations in the Mediterranean, Red Sea, the Gulf and Horn of Africa.
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Source: Royal Navy News
Text and Photos copyright Royal Navy 2013
