The 2012 action film Act of Valor was one of the first Hollywood productions to accurately depict the modern military. This was accomplished through the use of active duty Navy SEALs and SWCC operators. Although the film received negative reviews from critics for the stiff acting of the sailors, it was a box office success and arguably helped drive Hollywood toward more realistic action/military productions. Act of Valor is best remembered for its intense and realistic action scenes, courtesy of the real-deal operators in front of the cameras. Avoiding the one-dimensional acting that garnered negative reviews from critics, the British Royal Marines made a short film with pure, tactical action titled “Raid.”
Seeming to draw inspiration from video games like Call of Duty, the opening scene of “Raid” highlights the equipment being used by the Royal Marines of 42 Commando including the SIG Sauer MCX and Glock 19 as they complete their objective of seizing a suspect vessel. Intelligence gathered from the maritime interdiction operation drives the titular follow-on operation.
The intelligence confirms the capture of a British national being held at an enemy radar station. Nearby, air defense positions screen the radar station while a buildup of ammunition and equipment was identified at another location. A sniper team was covertly inserted to provide overwatch on the hostage’s position and confirmed that enemy radar is functional. The Commandos develop a plan to rescue the hostage and take out the enemy stockpile. Two teams from 40 Commando will land on the beach; one will take out an anti-aircraft site to open a corridor for a flight of F-35 Lightning II strike fighters to destroy the enemy supply cache. The other team will hit the radar station and secure the hostage. The raid will conclude by first light and all elements will be extracted.
The sniper team provides real-time intelligence to the operations rooms aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth and confirms that conditions are set to execute the raid. With the passage of a codeword, the Commandos have the green light to hit the beach armed with L403A1-AIWs. Simultaneously, F-35s take off and await the destruction of the air defense missile system to enable their strike on the cache. After climbing the rocky cliffs off the beach, the Commandos split up and head to their objectives.
Sniper overwatch engages a sentry at the radar station, allowing the Commando team to move in and search for the hostage. Meanwhile, the other team sets charges on the enemy missile system. As the first team makes entry at the radar station and secures the hostage, the second team exfils and destroys the launcher. With the hostage secure and a corridor in the enemy’s air defense opened up, a team from 29 Commando serves as the Joint Terminal Attack Controller and directs the F-35s onto their target of the weapons cache. Using an Android Tactical Assault Kit, the JTAC ensures that the target area is clear of friendly forces, confirms the target, and designates it for the pilots who drop their ordnance dead on. With all objectives complete, Wildcat helicopters fly in to extract all ground elements just as first light breaks. Raid successful, mission accomplished.
As a demonstration of the capabilities of the Royal Marines Commandos, “Raid” highlights the teamwork, versatility, and professionalism of the elite operators while “offering a glimpse into the future of littoral strike operations.” Moreover, the short film serves to inspire potential recruits who want to carry out operations like those depicted in “Raid.”