Britannia Naval College and HMS Raleigh could merge

Developing Britannia Royal Naval College would cause an outcry said a military expert

Naval training bases HMS Raleigh in Cornwall and Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) in Dartmouth, Devon could be moved on to one site.

Leaked Royal Navy documents seen by the BBC reveal these options as part of armed forces changes.

The Royal Marines' 45 Commando may move from Scotland to the South West under the Estate Rationalisation Programme. Decisions are expected in 2013.

The Royal Navy said it would not comment on leaked documents.

'Huge outcry'

Other Royal Marine activities could be moved within the Devonport base, says the document.

The move follows the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) in 2010 to decide the future shape and size of Britain's armed forces.

It says: "In the post SDSR environment we, along with the other services, have been developing options to address the challenge of maintaining or, where possible increasing the effectiveness of our estate, whilst at the same time minimising the cost of running it by reducing the estate footprint."

For more than a century, the Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) has trained Royal Navy officers and has been the training establishment of choice for a succession of kings and princes.

HMS Raleigh, commissioned in 1940, is a basic training facility of the Royal Navy at Torpoint in Cornwall.

'Half power'

Military expert and author of Warship World magazine Mike Critchley said as the Royal Navy had been reduced in size over recent years, there was a smaller number of recruits.

"Both establishments have been running on half power so there is a lot of sense in putting them both on one site.

"The question is which one."

He said that BRNC, which is located on the banks of the River Dart, had "huge commercial value" for development but there would be an "outcry from admirals up and down the country" if it was closed.

He said: "It's all about cost. Is it cheaper to rebuild either or find another site and close both?"

Any move of 45 Commando to the South West would see it stationed closer to its headquarters as the unit is part of 3 Commando Brigade, which has its headquarters in Plymouth.

The brigade's two other units are already stationed in the region: 42 Commando's barracks are based in Bickleigh, near Plymouth; and 40 Commando is near Taunton, Somerset.