RUSI Defence SystemsVOLUME 25members only

(Re)Learning Old Tricks: The Royal Navy’s Coastal Forces Squadron

Richard Skelton and Andrew Young

6 July 20238 Minute Read

HMS Raider. Courtesy of Ministry of Defence / J J Massey / OGL 1.0

During and prior to the Second World War, the Royal Navy operated a large number of Coastal Forces. Since the 1980s, these have dwindled to just a few unarmed patrol boats more usually employed for navigation training. Recent changes seek to regenerate expertise in this vital aspect of naval warfare.