Marine corps

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

A 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. Many countries, including Spain, Germany, France and Russia describe these combatant groups as "naval infantry."

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, is often used as a spearhead for major military offensives or as a stopgap when an emergency military situation breaks out, performing critical military operations until more permanent 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. The word "Marine" means Navy in many European languages such as French, German and Dutch.

Founding dates of early Marine units

*1537 - Infanteria de Marina (Spain)
*1621 - Fuzileiros Navais (Portugal)
*1622 - Troupes de marine (France)
*1664 - Royal Marines (United Kingdom)
*1665 - Royal Netherlands Marine Corps (Korps Mariniers)
*1713 - La Marina Militare (Italy)
*1775 - United States Marine Corps {Originally Continental Marines}
*1808 - Fuzileiros Navais (Brazil)
*1818 - Cuerpo de Infanteria de Marina (Chile)

National marine corps

Note that some countries do not differentiate branches of their armed forces, e.g. Israeli Defense Forces or the Canadian Forces.

Argentina

*The Argentine Marine Corps (Infantería de Marina de la Armada de la República Argentina, IMARA) 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 a Fleet Marine Force (one Marine Battalion, plus artillery, air defence, communications, logistics, engineer and vehicle units), a 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. The Marine Corps is composed of an Operational Brigade and some Guard and Ceremonial Duty Battalions.

Chile

*The Chilena Marine Corps (Cuerpo de Infanteria de Marina) is part of the Chilean Navy. They perform the amphibius assaults, and are one of the Chilean Special Forces. The Corps is composed of three units. Each one with their own anti-aircraft guns, artillary and landing crafts.

China

*China's People's Liberation Army Marine Corps.

Finland

*Finnish Coastal Ranger Command (Uusimaa Brigade) in Tammisaari is part of the Finnish Navy. This detachment is the only swedish-speaking unit in the Finnish Defence Forces.

France

*The Marine Troops (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, they consist of Marine Infantry (Infanterie de Marine), Marine Artillery (Artillerie de Marine), and Marine Armour (Chars de Marine). Marine troops wear an anchor patch but belong nowadays to the French Army.
*The French Navy (Marine Nationale) includes the Naval Fusiliers (Fusiliers Marins, 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 (Fusiliers/commandos, FUSCO). They are under the common command of the FORFUSCO.

Greece

32nd Brigade of Marines "Moravas" (32η Ταξιαρχία Πεζοναυτών Mοράβας) is a unit of naval infantry maintained by the Hellenic Army. The unit is based at Volos in Thessaly; landing craft and other nautical gear are furnished by the Hellenic Navy.

Italy

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

Japan

*The Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces, existed from 1928 to 1945.
*The Imperial Japanese Navy Land Forces, with some 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 (Koninklijke Marine) naval infantry unit is the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps.

Norway

Norwegian Coastal Rangers.

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

Philippines

*The Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) has a strength of about 10,000 men divided into five (5) brigades. The Marine units include four (4) infantry manoeuvre brigades, composed of fifteen (15) tactical infantry battalions and one (1) heavy weapons brigade (composed of the 105 mm Howitzer, 106 mm recoiless gun, along with an amphibious vehicle (LVT) and armoured units). Two (2) of the marine battalions have specialised roles: The Force Reconnaisance (Recon) battalion is used for rapid airlift to troubled areas. This Recon battalion is also trained in shipboarding attacks. The Marine Guard battalion is deployed in urban warfare and in defence of an installation. The Philippine Marines (PMC) is also considered the shock force of the Armed Forces and is the first unit to be involved in any amphibious or seaborne clashes.

Portugal

*Since 1621 the Portuguese Navy mantains a naval infantry corps, presently named Corpo de Fuzileiros. The Portuguese marine corps include 2000 men, including two naval infantry battalions, a naval police unit, a special operations unit and several support units (logistical, fire support, landing craft, etc.).

Russia

*The Russian Naval Infantry (Морская пехота).

Spain

*The Spanish Marine Infantry (Infantería 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).

Sweden

*Sweden's Svenska amfibiekåren is the amphibious arm of the Swedish Navy.

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 a part of the Royal Navy.

United States

*The United States Marine Corps, established as the Continental Marines on November 10, 1775 at the Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is currently the largest Marine Corps in the world.

Historical marine corps

France

*The Ordinary Marine Companies (Compagnies Ordinaires de la Mer) was a French marine corps created in 1622.

United Kingdom

*The Corps of Colonial Marines was a British marine corps formed 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 India Regiment.

See also

* Space marines