CRACK British troops are preparing for a post-apocalyptic Mad Max-style world.

The latest Royal Marines exercise near Ilminster has seen them protecting a truck carrying precious oil supplies.

A Royal Navy spokesperson said: "Imagine heavily-armed armoured vehicles attempting to form a ring of steel around an Oshkosh tanker filled with fuel, roaring down a wide highway.

"Not a scene from post-apocalyptic Mad Max movies, but Royal Marines testing their ability to support helicopters in the field.

"For five days the relatively quiet airfield at Merryfield was dominated by the rattle of gunfire, the clatter and rumble of heavy vehicles, and the smell of burned aviation fuel as personnel in a small, highly-specialised unit demonstrated their collective abilities."

The Aviation Combat Service Support Squadron is unique in the UK Armed Forces, expected to meet most of the needs of Merlin and Wildcat helicopters when operating in the field, providing fuel, food, spare parts, ammunition, medical care, ground transportation – effectively all the logistical support required, bar engineering.

Its ability to deploy rapidly is integral to the success of the Commando Helicopter Force, as is its ability to fend off foes.

The five-day training rolled into Exercise Junglie Defender tested experienced and new members of the squadron in their ability to move, blend in and hide in rural and urban environments.

At Merryfield, a satellite airfield to the Commando Helicopter Force’s home base at Yeovilton, the squadron formed a column of a tanker and Land Rovers, with a pair of Jackal armoured vehicles equipped with heavy machine-guns as escorts.

The Jackals are crewed by operators who’ve undergone a three-week course from zero knowledge of the vehicle to mastery of day and night ground manoeuvres over challenging terrain to gain a tactical advantage.

They’re guided skilled Jackal operators who’ve undergone two weeks instruction with the goal of out-manoeuvring any adversary. along with a gunner on the heavy-machine gun.

“The contribution the squadron makes has to Commando Helicopter Force’s operational output is something I was unaware of while serving within the rest of the Royal Marines,” one green beret said.

“We deploy persistently – in warm weather climates such as with the Littoral Response Group (South) to the Middle East this autumn; and in support of our NATO allies in the High North and Arctic Circle region.

“This blend of training really reinforces why we work so hard to maintain the high standards of our skills.”