King Charles III has fired a 105mm L118 Light Gun during a visit to the Royal Regiment of Artillery at Larkhill in Wiltshire, marking his first official engagement with the Regiment since becoming its Captain General.
According to the Royal Family’s official social media post, the visit saw His Majesty meet with soldiers and families from the 21 regiments that make up the Royal Regiment. The King was briefed on the unit’s training, equipment and operational responsibilities before being invited to fire the light gun himself, a rare public moment of royal participation in live-fire military activity.
The King has visited the Royal Regiment of Artillery in Larkhill, meeting military personnel and their families from the 21 regiments that form the Royal Regiment.
His Majesty also heard about the Regiment’s training and equipment – before being invited to fire a L118 Light Gun… pic.twitter.com/E1g2qbFBBe
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) June 6, 2025
To commemorate the occasion, King Charles was presented with a specially engraved 105mm cartridge case. The cartridge had previously been fired during the Coronation salutes in honour of Their Majesties.
According to a British Army update, the King also toured a series of equipment stands showcasing the Royal Artillery’s ‘Find and Strike’ capabilities, which include target acquisition, sensor integration and precision fires. He also met senior commanders to learn more about the Regiment’s evolving role in the British Army’s Integrated Force.
The L118 Light Gun is a 105mm towed artillery piece used by airborne and commando artillery units. It can be moved by medium-weight vehicles or transported underslung beneath a Chinook helicopter. Recent upgrades include an automatic pointing system based on inertial navigation, allowing for rapid deployment and engagement within 30 seconds.
The weapon’s versatility, mobility and reliability have made it a cornerstone of British field artillery since the 1970s. It remains a key capability for light role formations, including rapid reaction forces.
King Charles’s role as Captain General continues a long tradition of royal affiliation with the Royal Artillery. The visit to Larkhill, the Regiment’s home since the early 20th century, underscores the monarch’s ceremonial and symbolic connection to the armed forces in his capacity as Head of the Armed Forces.
Why is this needed over a month after the actual event?
Talking of Artillery. A letter from Master Gunner on X ( UKAFC )
talks of FMF within next 2 years and, more interestingly, Deep Fires for both 3 and 1 Division.
Deep Fire capability currently in 2 Regiments of the DRSB, 26RA and 3 RHA, 2 Batteries each, reinforced by 2 more from 101RA.
This Brigade is very much part of 3 Division.
Changes ahead.