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The UK’s amphibious troops will now wear the White Ensign flag on their sleeve for the first time ever in their 350-year history.
Sophisticated uniforms for the Royal Marines have been unveiled as part of the UK Ministry of Defence’s Future Commando Force programme to modernise the elite commando unit.
The US-made high-tech kit is 17-percent lighter, 60-percent faster-drying, and at least four times more breathable as compared to the previous uniform.
Notably, the Royal Marines, which were formed in 1664, will now wear a different combat uniform from other British forces, due to the fact that the kit is fitted with an advanced “MultiCam” pattern.
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AP Photo / Steve Lewis
British Royal Marines from the 42nd Commando unit check their equipment on the British Royal Navy helicopter carrier HMS Ocean in Marseille Sunday May 7, 2000
At the same time, there will be a White Ensign flag on the new kit’s sleeve, a reference to the marines’ colleagues in the Royal Navy.
In this context, the Daily Mail quoted Royal Marine Lieutenant Colonel Ben Reynolds as saying that the UK’s amphibious troops are “integral to the Royal Navy and an extremely versatile elite force, able to operate from mountains and Arctic wastes to jungles and shores.
He touted the new uniform as something that “reflects our distinctiveness and the unique capabilities we bring to defence, in addition to the Royal Navy’s eagerness to invest in our development”.
“The practical benefits shouldn’t be underestimated. It has been specifically selected to serve commandos as they carry out operations all around the globe in the most extreme environments”, Reynolds underscored.
He was echoed by James Heappey, UK Minister for the Armed Forces, who stressed that “it is fitting that on the 80th anniversary of the first commando raid, this uniform now bears the traditional Royal Marine Commando insignia”.
“’It is a poignant link to their history as the commando force embarks on a modernisation programme that will keep them in their place as the world’s best amphibious force”, the minister added.
While the Ministry of Defence declined to speak about the new uniform’s cost, The Sun referred to “website prices” indicating that the state-of-the-art kit’s price tag stands at about £800 ($987). The marines are expected to start wearing the uniform this autumn.
