Learning how to survive and fight in the winter is essential for some soldiers. In our Photo Of The Day we’re taking a closer look at Royal Marines participating in the Cold Weather Survival Course together with helicopter pilots and aircrew.

Before taking to the skies over the Arctic Circle, the aviators of the UK’s Joint Helicopter Command must complete the cold weather survival course, which gives them vital insight into surviving and fighting in one of the planet’s most inhospitable environments, where the sun barely rises and temperatures can plummet to around -30C.

The best bipod is the one you have around. Most normal bipods are too short to work in the snow anyway.

The British SA80.

Time for ice swimming.

Swimming in the ice water is in no way this fun.

Source: Royal Navy

If you like swimming in water that’s supposed to be solid frozen, you might like these articles as well: Finnish Winter Warfare Course and Russian Combat Swimmers with the APS Underwater Rifle.