30 Commando Information Exploitation Group RM

30 Commando Information Exploitation Group was known as United Kingdom Landing Force Command Support Group (UKLF CSG) until March 2010. which grew out of 3 Commando Brigade's Headquarters and Signals Squadron.

The role of the Unit, however, goes further back to Royal Marines units which were tasked with signals, reconnaissance and intelligence operations during World War II.

Major unit status was achieved in year 2000, and it is now a multifunctional "information regiment" consisting of approximately 465 personnel, though this figure increases significantly during operations as additional units are taken under their command.

The unit is tasked to achieve information superiority within any assigned battlespace by any available means, in order to enable 3 Commando Brigade operations.

Much of the Unit's capability lies in its four organic squadrons;

1. The Support Squadron personnel comprise the bulk of the Brigade Reconnaissance Force. This highly trained unit is made up of reconnaissance specialists tasked with operating ahead of the main brigade force.
2. Y Squadron comprises electronic warfare specialists, who are able to gain intelligence on the enemy and increase situational awareness by the interception of enemy communications systems.
3. Communications Squadron operates and maintains the wide variety of communications systems and media which is available to the Commander, and also provides personnel to set up and run the Brigade Headquarters when it is deployed.
4. The Logistics Squadron role is to Move, Sustain and Protect the Brigade and the 30 Cdo HQ. Their are organic sub units to provide specialist functions, such as air defence for the Brigade Headquarters, and the unit also tasks and coordinates non-organic assets, such as aerial reconnaissance platforms.

30 Commando brings together Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) to provide a broad understanding of the operational environment and the enemy. This combines with Information Operations, which includes Electronic Warfare and Psychological Operations to achieve effect on the minds of target audiences. Additionaly, the Unit maintains it’s traditional enabling role; which provides communications, IT and Life Support to the Brigade HQ.

Winning any information battle and achieving a  superiority of information requires three key effects which need a greater tempo and accuracy than that achieved by any enemy:

(1)  To obtain information (FIND).

(2)  To derive intelligence from it (UNDERSTAND).

(3)  To give life support, protection of communications and information systems and IT (ENABLE).

The task of 30 Commando is to ensure that the Brigade Commander has superior situational awareness, which will allow him to make quicker and more accurate decisions to target his adversary's key capabilities. In order to carry out this role in sustaining and protecting the Brigade HQ, it will have forces transferred into it from other parts of the Brigade. This process of tasking, fusing and coordinating a number of diverse capabilities to achieve a single aim is key to the way that it does its business and it is carried out in the Commando HQ, which comprises of a number of functional cells that deal with specialist capabilities, conjoined to the Brigade Headquarters.

The Unit has developed over time through successive operational trials and validation.  Various operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have been the driving force for this evolution.  It is now a model which Joint and Army Headquarters have successfully emulated.  The evolution, of this unit is ongoing.