Army and Marines to join forces

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Army soldiers are to formally join forces with the Royal Marines for the first time, the government has said.

The move is an attempt to increase the specialist force's capability and ability to respond to urgent threats.

By April 2008 the new 1 Rifles infantry battalion will become a fourth unit of 3 Commando Brigade which is currently fighting the Taleban in Afghanistan.

The government insists the impact of major ongoing operations has not left the military "overstretched".

The Ministry of Defence said it wants a fourth unit in 3 Commando Brigade to give more flexibility in taking part in ongoing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The 3 Commando Brigade is an amphibious rapid reaction force that can operate anywhere in the world.

The brigade took over the fight against the Taleban from the Paras in the Helmand province of Afghanistan last October.

The 1 Rifles battalion will form on 1 February, as part of a new super-regiment called The Rifles. The batallion will be made up of what was the Devon and Dorset Regiment.

Members of the 1 Rifles battalion will not have to undergo the training required to become a commando and will technically remain part of the Army.