Marines

The UK's Royal Marines in a Rigid Raider assault watercraft

A national marine corps is a branch of a nation's armed forces incorporating Marines, intended to be capable of mounting amphibious assaults using infantry, armour, aircraft, and watercraft. The role of a Marine Corps can differ between nations. In modern warfare, Marines are usually elite, highly mobile troops, and are used in situations that do not always involve naval elements. For example, the United States Marine Corps, the largest in the world, are used as a stopgap when an emergency military situation breaks out, to perform military operations until specialised forces arrive.

Historically, Marines were part of the navy and served onboard warships. They assisted the crew in battles, boarded enemy ships, conducted small coastal raids, and protected the officers from mutiny by the crew. Eventually they have become the primary landing force.

Current

Argentina

• The Argentine Marine Corps (military acronym: IMARA - Infantería de Marina de la Armada de la República Argentina) is a part of the Argentine Navy. Argentine Marines have the same rank insignia and titles as the rest of the Navy. It is composed of the following:
• Fleet Marine Force (one Marine Battalion, plus artillery, air defense, communications, logistics, engineer and vehicle units), the
• Southern Marine Force (2 Marine Battalions), a
• River Operations Battalion, a
• Special Forces Unit and
• several Security Battalions and Companies.

Brazil

• The Brazilian Marine Corps (Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais), is anexed to the Brazilian Navy. It is the second largest such force in the world. The Marine Corps is composed of an Operational Brigade and some Guard & Ceremonial Duty Battalions.

China

• China's People's Liberation Army Marine Corps

France

• France has two types of marine forces:

1. The Troupes de Marine are French Army units which were formerly titled Colonial Troops and were army troops who wore an anchor patch and served overseas, but were the responsibility of the French Navy for administration. Nowadays, Marine troops consist Marine Infantry (Infanterie de Marine), Marine Artillery (Artillerie de Marine), Marine Armor (Chars de Marine). Marine troops wear an anchor patch but belong nowadays to the French Army.
2. The French Navy is called the Marine Nationale, and it includes the Naval Fusiliers, Fusiliers de Marine or FUSMAR, who protect naval bases and serve on capital ships. Currently the Naval Fusiliers consists of 14 Companies of Fusiliers and a small commando battalion (FUSCO, or fusiliers/commandos). They are under the common command of the FORFUSCO.

Italy

• The Italian Navy (Marina Militare) has a marine unit, the San Marco Regiment, based in Brindisi.
• The Italian Army (Esercito Italiano) has his own marine infantry unit, the Serenissima Regiment, based in Venice. The soldiers that serve in the Serenissima Regiment are called Lagunari.

Japan

• In Japan:
  • Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces - existed from 1928 to 1945
  • Also the Imperial Japanese Navy Land Forces - some with marine-like duties.

Korean

• Republic of Korea Marine Corps

Indonesia

• Korps Marinir TNI AL Indonesia Marine Corps, component part of the Indonesia Navy Force established on 15 November 1945.

Netherlands

• The Royal Netherlands Navy is called the Koninklijke Marine in Dutch, not to be confused with the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps which is part of it.

Norway

• The Royal Norwegian Navy is called Den Kongelige Norske Marine in Norwegian. The Royal Norwegian Navy unit responsible for naval infantry and ISTAR operations (equivalent to other countries' marine corps) is the Norwegian Coastal Ranger Command (Kystjegerkommandoen).

Russia

• Russian Naval Infantry (Морская пехота)

Spain

• Spain's Infanteria de Marina - The oldest Marine Corps in the world was established on February 27, 1537 by Charles V when he permanently assigned the Compañías Viejas del Mar de Nápoles (Naples Old Sea Companies) to the Escuadras de Galeras del Mediterráneo (Mediterranean Galley Squadrons).

Taiwan

• Taiwan's Republic of China Marine Corps

Thailand

• Royal Thai Marine Corps

United Kingdom

• The Royal Marines of the United Kingdom were formed in 1664 and are administered by the Royal Navy

United States

• United States Marine Corps - (established as the Continental Marines on November 10, 1775 in Tun Tavern Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). This is largest military organization designated as "Marine" in the world, and the majority of the world's "Marine" troops are American. They are the United States' major force in readiness, and as a result are usually "First to Fight". United States Marines are also known as "Devil Dogs," "Leathernecks," and "Jarheads" (see Military slang).

Note that some countries do not differentiate branches of their armed forces, as Israeli Defense Forces.

Historical

United Kingdom

• Corps of Colonial Marines - Formed by the British during the mid 1840s to serve in the remaining British America colonies (mainly the West Indies), The Colonial Marines were controlled by the Royal Marines as an auxiliary force. Initially recruited from freed or escaped slaves from the United States and later from local inhabitants, these units were either disbanded or absorbed by the West Indies Regiment.

United States

• During the American Civil War, the Confederate Marine Corps.

See also

Marine Corps