The British Royal Marines Commandos are bracing for significant changes that will take them back to their Special Operations roots.

The British Ministry of Defence (MoD) is considering the restructuring of the Royal Marines under the Future Commando Force concept. Improvements include upgrades to their individual weapons, personal loadout, and uniforms. More importantly, however, the MoD is considering deploying the Commandos in smaller elements that would be capable of conducting SOF missions.

The change began in 2017. Then, the MoD had decided to restructure 42 Commando (a Commando is a battalion-sized formation) from a normal Commando to a Maritime Operations Commando (MOC), which is geared toward force protection, maritime interdiction, and maritime counterterrorism. After this restructuring, 3 Commando Brigade was left with two “regular” Commandos (40 Commando and 45 Commando).

When it comes to their individual rifles, the Royal Marines will be receiving the Canadian-built C8 Carbine — the British designation is L119A1 / L119A2 Special Forces Individual Weapon (SFIW) — and thus replacing the awkward SA-80.