Elite commandos offered a £20,000 bonus

Elite commandos are to be offered £20,000 bonuses by the Government in a desperate effort to stem a brain drain of the brightest Royal Marines.

The payments will be available to those who have served for at least four-and-a-half years, as commanders try to persuade Marines who can operate high-tech equipment not to leave for lucrative posts in engineering or finance.

Troops who accept, including those who are proficient in piloting drones and directing precision air strikes, will receive annual payments of £5,000 for four years on top of their salaries.

The payments will be available to those who have served for at least four-and-a-half years, as commanders try to persuade Marines who can operate high-tech equipment not to leave for lucrative posts in engineering or finance (stock image) 

A military source said: ‘It’s great news that the bosses are rewarding the commitment of talented Marines because when you’ve got bright people, you’ve got to persuade them to stay by paying them more.

‘There’s so much complicated technology on the battlefield these days that we must continue to draw in the best recruits. The Corps attracts a lot more graduates at the junior entry level than the Army, but these guys tend to leave if they don’t see a clear career path and a decent pay packet.’

The introduction of the bonus for those of the rank of corporal and lance corporal has been ordered by the head of the Marines, Major General Matt Holmes, following a recommendation by the Armed Forces Pay Review Body.

Corporals can already earn up to £40,000, depending on their length of service and additional skills.

Ministers have also reassured chiefs that the future of the Royal Marines is secure, despite reports that it was under threat.

An internal document seen by The Mail on Sunday reveals the scale of the ‘brain drain’ and ‘the impact the growing deficit [of troops] is having on the Corps’ ability to deliver’ its defence tasks.

 Ministers have also reassured chiefs that the future of the Royal Marines is secure, despite reports that it was under threat. Pictured: The Royal Marines during The Lord Mayor’s Show in London in 2019

The briefing note says some commando units face a shortfall of 20 per cent of personnel and that the number of Marines leaving has been at ‘historically high levels over the last three years’. It also says the rigour of Royal Marines’ basic training has resulted in a record number of recruits dropping out with injuries. Yet the arduous 32-week course produces troops of such calibre that Marines provide 40 per cent of the personnel for Special Forces, despite accounting for just 4.5 per cent of the UK’s Armed Forces.

The bonus comes a year after the Corps sought to lure back former Marines with £10,000 ‘signing-on’ payments, an incentive that drew claims that top brass had prioritised bringing back veterans rather than retaining existing troops. The Corps is also currently training its first batch of female recruits, as The Mail on Sunday previously revealed.

Last night, Maj Gen Holmes said: ‘This financial retention incentive is a clear indication of the value we place on our high-quality, multi-skilled commandos.’