The 539 Raiding Assault Squadron of the Royal Marines was spotted on our Live Webcam early this evening in Plymouth Sound returning from exercises.
Operating as part of 3 Commando Brigade, the elite amphibious troops of 539 Raiding Squadron use landing craft and amphibious vehicles to get their fellow Marines to shore.
The Assault Squadron is made up of more than 100 personnel and equipped with a range of high-tech landing craft, including Rigid Raiders, the Griffon 2000TD hovercraft, and the Viking amphibious armoured vehicle, which they use to deliver their fellow troops to land.
Since its formation in 1984, the squadron has carried out operations in Iraq and Somalia, and contributed to security at the London 2012 Olympics. The unit is named after the famed 539 Assault Flotilla, which played a crucial role in the Normandy Landings of 1944.
