Marine infantrymen, also known as “Marines” throughout much of the Western world, are infantrymen — soldiers specialized in land warfare — who fulfill a role demanding additional versatility; these soldiers are able to complete reconnaissance missions and special operations among their more ubiquitous combat duties, and this capability is due to their training to fight on both land and sea.
Today, we will be analyzing individual naval infantry or marine servicemen of historically rival nations. For this scenario, an analysis of two Western and two Eastern nations highlights the stark differences in military strategies: United States, Russia, China, and the United Kingdom.
Before delving into this comparison, it is important to address an important question: what is the relevance of analyzing such a specific type of soldier? Well, among a tense geopolitical situation in both the South China Sea and the South Levant, which are in close proximity to masses of water, naval infantrymen may be the key to many key state actors in these regions; without quality naval infantrymen, the chances of victory will be frankly bleak.
The United States of America enjoys the employment of a completely independent armed force for naval infantrymen, coined the United States Marine Corps. This service branch is known to be the most difficult of all, as training and expectations are raised higher for these soldiers, who act as the United States expeditionary military force. All Marine Corps personnel, known as “Marines” within the United States are originally trained riflemen, who go into other, more specialized disciplines. These servicemen employ a variant of the battle-tested HK416 assault rifle, named the M27 in US military jargon. The HK416/M27 is a unique rifle in that it was designed for both traditional infantry combat and special operations, making it a highly versatile tool for these expeditionary soldiers.
Compared to the United States, historical rival Russia, looks to an alternative approach in regards to their naval infantrymen. Instead of creating a unique armed force tasked with reconnaissance, special operations, surveying, and naval infantry missions, the Russian Navy employs the Russian Naval Infantry, who instead fulfill the role of amphibious assault, traditional infantry, and special operations. Russian Naval Infantrymen employ the AK-12 assault rifle, which, in comparison to the HK416/M27, is a more general combat weapon. However, it is particularly known for its water and mud durability, making it a much more reliable option compared to rival nations. Training is comparable to US Marines, although the Russians practice for much more arboreal settings.
China employs a similar tactic — consolidating its marine force into the navy, calling it the People’s Liberation Army Navy Marine Corps. Much of their force is heavily inspired by the Russian Naval Infantry, with their training having a large focus on amphibious landings and island-hopping. China’s top brass have learned their lessons from experience in conflicts such as the Second World War and the Korean War, prompting them to take a more evidence-based approach. Compared to the US and Russia, who employ conventional assault rifles, the People’s Liberation Army uses the bullpup, indigenously designed, QBZ-95, an experiment yet to be truly tested in battle; in past conflicts, such as the War in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, and Ukraine, bullpups were used rather sparingly, however, their benefits of offering more accuracy with fire has piqued the interest of more than just China, as France, Israel, India, and the United Kingdom have all recently acquired samples (FAMAS/Tavor/L85).
Employing the bullpup L85 rifle as a primary, the Royal Marines could be perceived as a mix of Chinese and American military influences. However, the similarities with the Chinese end there, as the Royal Marines follow a more Western, almost Americanized military training style, having a close relationship with the US and Dutch Marines. The Royal Marines represent a unique branch of His Majesty’s Armed Forces and they are famous for having Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and husband of American film star Meghan Markle serve.
It is likely that marines and naval infantrymen will hold a unique role among the territorial disputes in different conflict zones, such as the aforementioned South China Sea and South Levant, and they will continue to be some of the most high-value human assets to their respective nations.
Written by Eshan Korat
