539 Assault Squadron RM
Encyclopedia
539 Assault Squadron RM (ASRM) is 3 Commando Brigade's
integral amphibious movement capability, delivering them on to land from water and patrolling waterways. It also contains the Royal Marines Armoured Support Group
operating the Viking BvS10 All Terrain Amphibious Armoured Vehicle. They are based in Turnchapel
in Plymouth
.
in 1982.
More recent operations include Operation Telic
. 539 ASRM supported 3 Cdo Bde as they took the Al-Faw Peninsula
, carrying out numerous operations such as several landings and the clearing of various waterways. 539 ASRM continued to operate in Iraq
, performing security patrols of Iraq's southern ports and water networks until the end of Operation Telic. In July 2011 a landing craft from RFA Cardigan Bay
landed two Vikings and Royal Marines of 539 Assault Squadron in Somaliland
. They penetrated several miles of "bandit country" to meet up with an important clan chief and take him back to Cardigan Bay for a meeting with MI6 and Foreign Office officials. This was part of Exercise Somaliland Cougar, an operation to train Somali coastguards in anti-piracy techniques and to establish relationships with tribal leaders.
Today the Squadron consists of over 100 personnel and is equipped with a variety of Landing Craft
including Hovercraft (LCAC(L)), Rigid Raider
s and Landing Craft Vehicle/Personnel
.
539 Assault Squadron is named after the famous 539 Assault Flotilla which landed on Gold Beach during the Invasion of Normandy.
3 Commando Brigade
3 Commando Brigade is a commando formation of the British Armed Forces and the main manoeuvre formation of the Royal Marines. Its personnel are predominantly Royal Marines, supported by units of Royal Engineers, Royal Artillery, The Rifles, and the Fleet Air Arm, together with other Commando...
integral amphibious movement capability, delivering them on to land from water and patrolling waterways. It also contains the Royal Marines Armoured Support Group
Royal Marines Armoured Support Group
The current Royal Marines Armoured Support Group is an element of the Royal Marines which operates the Viking BvS 10, All Terrain Vehicle. It is the successor to the Royal Marines Armoured Support Company, and is in effect on permanent loan from operational command of 3 Commando Brigade to the...
operating the Viking BvS10 All Terrain Amphibious Armoured Vehicle. They are based in Turnchapel
Plymstock
Plymstock is a civil parish and commuter suburb of Plymouth in the English county of Devon.The earliest surviving documentary reference to the place is as Plemestocha in the Domesday Book and its name is derived from Old English meaning either "outlying farm with a plum-tree" or, if it is short for...
in Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
.
History
539 ASRM was formed on 2 April 1984 and commissioned operational on 24 July 1984. This was in direct response to lessons learned during the Falklands ConflictFalklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
in 1982.
More recent operations include Operation Telic
Operation Telic
Operation TELIC was the codename under which all British military operations in Iraq were conducted between the start of the Invasion of Iraq on 19 March 2003 and the withdrawal of the last remaining British forces on 22 May 2011...
. 539 ASRM supported 3 Cdo Bde as they took the Al-Faw Peninsula
Al-Faw Peninsula
The Faw peninsula is a marshy region adjoining the Persian Gulf in the extreme south-east of Iraq, between and to the south-east of the cities of Basra and Abadan ....
, carrying out numerous operations such as several landings and the clearing of various waterways. 539 ASRM continued to operate in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, performing security patrols of Iraq's southern ports and water networks until the end of Operation Telic. In July 2011 a landing craft from RFA Cardigan Bay
RFA Cardigan Bay (L3009)
RFA Cardigan Bay is a Bay-class landing ship dock of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary . Built by BAE Systems, the ship was dedicated into the RFA at the end of 2006. Cardigan Bay is active as of 2011.-Design and construction:...
landed two Vikings and Royal Marines of 539 Assault Squadron in Somaliland
Somaliland
Somaliland is an unrecognised self-declared sovereign state that is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia. The government of Somaliland regards itself as the successor state to the British Somaliland protectorate, which was independent for a few days in 1960 as the State of...
. They penetrated several miles of "bandit country" to meet up with an important clan chief and take him back to Cardigan Bay for a meeting with MI6 and Foreign Office officials. This was part of Exercise Somaliland Cougar, an operation to train Somali coastguards in anti-piracy techniques and to establish relationships with tribal leaders.
Today the Squadron consists of over 100 personnel and is equipped with a variety of Landing Craft
Landing craft of the Royal Marines
The landing craft of the Royal Marines consist of a varied fleet of transport craft maintained by the Royal Navy and designed to transport the Royal Marines from ship to shore as well as conduct river or estuary patrols. The craft are generally classified according to their role...
including Hovercraft (LCAC(L)), Rigid Raider
Rigid Raider
The Rigid Raider is a series of fast patrol/assault boat made by RTK Marine, a subsidiary of Halmatic . They are in service with many armed forces, including the Royal Marines, the SBS and Royal Engineers...
s and Landing Craft Vehicle/Personnel
Landing craft of the Royal Marines
The landing craft of the Royal Marines consist of a varied fleet of transport craft maintained by the Royal Navy and designed to transport the Royal Marines from ship to shore as well as conduct river or estuary patrols. The craft are generally classified according to their role...
.
539 Assault Squadron is named after the famous 539 Assault Flotilla which landed on Gold Beach during the Invasion of Normandy.