Prince Harry opens £30m Royal Navy centre in Plymouth

Prince Harry has opened the Royal Navy's £30m amphibious centre in Plymouth.

The buildings, at Devonport Naval Base, house landing craft and assault vessels as well as acting as a training base for the Royal Marines.

Prince Harry also attended a parade at the centre, which is called the Royal Marines Tamar.

More than 300 military personnel will be trained for worldwide operations at the base.

The prince wore the service dress of the Household Cavalry and his Army Air Corps beret.

'Centre of excellence'

When he arrived, he told a group of dignitaries who had waited in blustery conditions to greet him: "Typical British, we complain when it's too hot and we complain when it's too cold."

Servicemen will be taught a range of skills from handling hovercraft to staging beach landings.

The new base is home to 1 Assault Group Royal Marines, which oversees amphibious warfare.

Col Garth Manger, the military unit's commanding officer, said: "It's the Royal Navy's amphibious centre of excellence which means a great deal to the navy and defence.

"It means all the navy's assets for amphibious warfare will all be located in one place."

New facilities include waterfront training rooms, a marina, a jetty, maintenance and engineering sheds and workshops, and a slipway.