Royal Marine Commando, Mountain Leader Company
Overview:
The Mountain Leader Company is a training element of the United Kingdom’s Royal Marines which provides instruction in mountain warfare, arctic warfare, cold weather survival and operations, and cliff assault. The ML Coy has a permanent staff of mountain and arctic warfare instructors and trains mountain leaders for employment in the formations of the Corps. ML Coy sits within the Specialist Wing of the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines and is based in Lympstone, United Kingdom.
History:
During the 1950s the Royal Marine Cliff Assault Wing was formed to train marines in rock climbing and cliff assault techniques. Elite training of Cliff Leaders in the late 1950s required rocky landings from various small craft (kayaks, Zodiacs and other motorized assault craft) often in heavy seas onto the Cornish coast, and rapid tactical ascents and descent of the vertical faces. This skill set was necessary for exposing all trainees during the last week of the commando (green beret) course. Instructors publicly demonstrated (e.g. at Navy Days) commando methods of abseiling and high-speed fixed rope descent from clifftop grapple-hook anchors. These would typically include the ‘run-down’ method and the ‘front swallow’ and other dangerous slides down a fixed rope.
The Cliff Assault Wing became the Cliff Assault Troop in 1962, the Reconnaissance Leader Troop in 1965 and the Mountain And Arctic Warfare Cadre in 1970. The Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre gained global recognition for their operational performance during the Falklands Conflict in 1982 where they played a crucial role as an advance force for 3 Commando Brigade. The Cadre also featured in the 1985 BBC Television documentary series Behind the Lines. The series followed the progress of 25 prospective members of the cadre as they endure survival training on a Hebridean island (Islay) and Arctic conditions in Norway. The cadre was renamed the Mountain Leader Training Cadre in the early 1990s.
Courses
Mountain Leader Class 2 (ML2)
ML2s train all ranks in Mountain & Cold Weather Warfare (M&CWW) operations. They are able to lead mountain routes, teach military rock climbing to UK ‘Severe’ standard at night with operational equipment in boots. Critically, they are the Royal Marines deep specialist in surveillance and reconnaissance.
The 34 week ML2 training course is open to Royal Marines with rank of Corporal or above. They must have passed a Junior Command Course and an initial Mountain Leader Selection. The ML2 course covers:
- Vertical assault/climbing
- Mountain movement
- Surveillance and reconnaissance (ISTAR, SERE, long range patrol)
- Advanced mountain movement
- M&CWW instructor
Qualifications gained:
- ISTAR patrol leader
- M&CWW instructor
- Rock climbing (Military)
- Snow and ice climbing (Military)
- Basic Ski instructor
- MLTB Summer
- Level 3 Diploma-Supervision Expedition Survival and Surveillance
Mountain Leader Class 1 (ML1)
ML1s supervise and train all ranks in Mountain & Cold Weather Warfare (M&CWW) operations. They lead mountain routes in winter to grade 4 and teach mountain climbing to UK ‘Very Severe’ level.
The 36 week ML1 course is open to SNCOs with a minimum of 2 years in the ML2 role. It covers:
- Vertical assault/climbing instructor/supervisor
- Advanced mountain movement supervisor and instructor
- ISTAR manager
- M&CWW supervisor and instructor
Qualifications gained:
- M&CW instructor and supervisor
- Snow and ice climbing supervisor (Military)
- Rock climbing and mountaineering supervisor (Military)
- Single Pitch Award
- Level 2 Norwegian Telemark Instructors
- Advanced Ski Instructors (Military)
- Level 4 Diploma – Managing Expedition Survival and Surveillance
- Avalanche aware
International students attend the Mountain Leader courses every year and primarily come from the Netherlands Korps Marinier and Norway’s Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol operators. The courses run once a year.