Should 3 Commando Brigade become a much lighter littoral force while the Army supplies light infantry?
Short answerNo. Britain still needs sea-based forces and amphibious shipping to create access when ports and airfields cannot be assumed available.
NotesThe Royal Marines are Britain's force for operating from the sea and opening access for heavier land forces. Removing ships such as Albion and Bulwark makes it harder to move a brigade when an allied airfield or port is unavailable or has been damaged. Cold War planning for Norway assumed that friendly territory might still lack usable ports after Soviet attack. Parachute forces can be left far from their equipment and extraction options, while Marines can retain a supporting ship within helicopter range. Amphibious shipping therefore provides an independent route into a theatre when political permission, airfields, and port infrastructure cannot all be assumed.