Royal Marines (45 Commando) and another Foxhound pic.

Royal Navy personnel from the Commando Helicopter Force and Royal Marines from 45 Commando are pictured taking part in Exercise Scottish Lion in the South West of Scotland.

More than 750 Royal Marines and supporting units, plus three warships, Sea King and Chinook helicopters waged war in and around the Galloway Forest in a week-long exercise to prepare 45 Commando for front-line duties.

The Arbroath-based green berets are now the nation’s ‘lead commando group’ – ready to deploy around the globe if required – having successfully completed Exercise Scottish Lion.

A Foxhound Light Protection Protected Vehicle is pictured at Camp Bastion, Helmand, Afghanistan.

Foxhound was delivered to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan for the first time on 2nd of June 2012.

Originally procured as an Urgent Operational Requirement, Foxhound was designed specifically to protect against the threats faced by troops in Afghanistan - for example, its V-shaped hull helps it withstand explosions caused by an improvised explosive device.
Its size and agility allows troops to carry out a wide range of tasks in environments that may restrict larger, heavier vehicles. Foxhound is ideal for the Partnering and Mentoring role required for Transition, being able to access urban areas with increased protection.
The vehicle incorporates state of the art technology from a range of areas, including from non-traditional defence sources such as the UK's world-leading motorsport industry, drawing a significant number of SMEs from across the country into the supply chain.
Its engine can be removed and replaced in just 30 minutes and it can drive away on only three wheels.
The vehicle was designed, developed, and built in the UK by FPE and Ricardo plc, together with Team Ocelot partners Thales, QinetiQ, Formaplex, DSG and Sula. Construction of the vehicles will take place throughout the UK.
The L7A2 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) is a 7.62 x 51mm belt-fed general purpose machine gun which can be used as a light weapon and in a sustained fire (SF) role.
In the SF role, mounted on a tripod and fitted with the C2 optical sight, it is fired by a two-man team who are grouped in a specialist Machine Gun Platoon to provide battalion-level fire support. In SF mode, the GPMG, with a two-man crew, lays down 750 rounds-per-minute at ranges up to 1,800 meters.

The GPMG can be carried by foot soldiers and employed as a light machine gun (LMG), although it has largely been replaced by the lighter 5.56 x 45mm Minimi in this role in most regiments. A fold-out bipod is used to support the GPMG in the LMG role.