Officer cadets from Britannia Royal Naval College will take to the River Dart next week on Monday, February 19 to Thursday, February 24, in a bid to prove to their instructors that they have what it takes to pass out of training.

Naval activity on the River Dart will increase as the four-day exercise, known as Maritime Assessed Leadership (MARL) gets underway. Operating in groups of 12, the cadets will be assigned to live and work on the small picket boats, operating as part of a fictitious task group. Their mission is to stabilise a war-torn area hit by natural disaster. Each one will be given the chance to take charge of the boat as the commanding officer when their ability to lead will be assessed by college staff.

The exercise is run by BRNC’s Royal Navy Leadership Academy. The intense week of assessment is designed to bring together everything the cadets have learned during their initial naval training. Other assets, such as helicopters, are brought into play to make the exercise as realistic as possible

Those who successfully pass the assessment will earn a place on the parade ground for Lord High Admiral’s Divisions in April. A similar exercise will take place for a second group of cadets from Monday, April 2 to Thursday, April 5.