The British Army’s newest regiment, the King’s Gurkha Artillery (KGA), has unveiled its official cap badge following approval from His Majesty The King.
The announcement marks a key milestone in the formal establishment of the regiment, according to a British Army news update.
The badge is the first created for a Gurkha regiment in 14 years. It features two crossed khukuris, symbolising the Gurkha tradition, set over the field gun of the Royal Artillery. The design includes the mottos “Ubique” meaning “Everywhere” and “Quo Fas et Gloria Ducunt” meaning “Whither Right and Glory Lead.”
Lieutenant Colonel Michael Fletcher, Commander of the King’s Gurkha Artillery, said the new badge represents both heritage and future purpose. “All of the Officers and Soldiers of The King’s Gurkha Artillery are incredibly proud and honoured that His Majesty The King has approved the regimental badge. This marks another important step in the formation of the Regiment,” he said.
“The cap badge, crossed khukuris—the symbol synonymous with the courage and skill of the Gurkha soldier—placed over the gun and motto of The Royal Artillery, is fitting as we bring together two proud and distinguished histories to create the Army’s newest Regiment,” he continued. “KGA soldiers are training on artillery equipment now and are thriving, demonstrating tactical and technical expertise. We look forward to an exciting future.”
The KGA is based at Larkhill in Wiltshire. In November 2025, the first group of KGA gunners to complete training at the Infantry Training Centre in Catterick will join those already at Larkhill. Around 400 Gurkhas are expected to join the regiment over the next four years.
The King’s Gurkha Artillery will form part of the Army’s artillery capability, delivering precision fire support across a range of operations. The unveiling of the cap badge completes the formal creation process first announced in April and symbolises the merging of Gurkha identity with the firepower and heritage of the Royal Artillery.
On the how many people does it take to change a lightbulb theme, how many regiments does it take to operate 14 Archer 155mm howitzers?
Fair / unfair?
It does make you wonder doesn’t it?let’s create another Regt without any kit🙄
The British Army currently fields 169 artillery pieces of which:
126 are L118 Light Gun (towed 105mm)
29 MLRS launchers
14 Archer 155mm
The new kit has been ordered, but it is 4 – 5 years away from being delivered.
One of the best artillery pieces in the world and I know being that Royal Artillery veteran of a gun battery
Which one ?
Half a Regiment.
Scandalous what has happened to the Royal Artillery.
On KGA, I believe they will initially be a part of 14 Royal Artillery, the SRA training Regiment.
And certainly no increase in guns, just using Light Gun.
As always, the glacial lack of urgency in anything the Army does, procurement or not, does not inspire confidence.
Unfair as the first 72 RCH-155s (of the 240 planned) are due to be delivered over the next 5 years.
Yes, but which of the five years and when do we get the “fictional” 240 units. 2040?
Not heard 240 mentioned before.
The original requirement was for 116 guns, and that was with up to 4 Regiments to be so equipped.
One of those is now a MLRS Regiment.
I still think 60 to 80 guns. 240 would be excellent.
Not my field or prime interest but I seem to recall an initial order for 500 ish Boxers in 4 different specs and another 100 added a few years back. Not sure if any were the RCH 155 model but If true then 240 of this model would be a great addition to the original 500/600. A few hundread more Ajax varients would be usefull too.
Think Defence is a good source to check numbers.
“In space, no one can hear you scream”.
Morning Halfwit.
Yes that’s right, around 600 in 2 batches so far.
Years back funding was “in place” for over a thousand. Quietly dropped. I’m pleased, they’re too expensive, buy a cheaper good enough to supplement.
The RCH versions I don’t believe are in the original order.
Ares order should increase otherwise don’t see the need for other orders of those.
Now that we’re going for 5 per cent (!) rumour has it that half the R.A. are going to have their nasty guns replaced with spades for pot holes and kit for rural broadband. Don’t know if it’s true but with Starmer ??
Nice one Geoffrey.
Cir, blimey, 240! Any of that figure likely to be tracked or is it all wheeled Boxer based? Good time to be in the tyre business! 😆
*Cor
5 years? Not exactly timely.is that around the time the imaginary 5 per cent kicks in …..
On the other hand, 5 years from starting a replacement project to IOC for a vehicle that at time of ordering didn’t exist, is really fast.
Fair, because 5 years is too long given the current geopolitical instability
Changing a Street Light Bulb now requires the following.
A duff bulb spotter driving an Electric Transit around the streets at night. (double time after 12pm).
A Duff bulb recording specialist who plots said duff bulb using My 3 words (It’s that one).
A H&S specialist to survey and evaluate the dangers that may be apparent.
A team of Scafolders.
A team of Road workers to dig holes.
A team of Triffic light installers.
A team of Sign erectors placing signs to block the path that the sign says will be difficult to navigate during duff bulb replacement works (we’re sorry for any inconvenience caused but will send a team to remove the sign some months later, If it is still there).
A couple of blokes in a tatty lease van with a cherry picker on the back and an ashtray in front of the no smoking in the vehicle sign to actually do the work.
A couple more blokes in another tatty van to stand around on their phones talking loudly and waving their arms around whilst watching the other blokes.
A team of Irish Tarmac layers to fill the holes that were dug just in case a hole was required.
Another bunch of Scafolders to take down the scaffolding that wasn’t used.
And a team of Council door to door callers delivering pamphlets highlighting the disruption that may be caused during the emergency rectification works.
And a bloke in a Range Rover to check all works have been completed to spec.
I probably missed a few out but got bored.
Disclaimer, “Bloke” is a general term used to describe a person, it could be any number of other types of persons but the list is forever expanding and I can’t be arsed to update my records.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Your name suggests your posts might be with/ funny. More false advertising it seems 🤷🏻♂️
Your name suggests you have pointy ears and a mix of Human/Vulcan parentage and you live by the motto “Live long and prosper”.
More fake profiling it seems.🤦♂️
“Those without humour can never be expected to understand humour”. Data, Star Treck Next Generation “Humour Chip Episode”.
(Was it the post where you had a dig at DM’s Parentage and I merely questioned your own, being a Vulcan ? or are you just a natural at this sort of thing on a public site. I’ll look forward to the sort of responses you display here towards most others).
“Live long and Prosper”.
👍
At least your comments are more sensible than army procurement plans. Keep at it .
Ha Ta muchly, I find it relieves the stresses and strains that a few tortured souls seem to display here (mostly after a few drams it seems).
It’s good to see some of you can find humour in amongst all the serious comments, I’ll carry on untill removed.
Ya gotta laff sometimes…
I doubt George will cancel you for making light of the incoherent absurdity that is UK Defence policy/spending.
You are not being obnoxious as far as I can see.
It breaks things up!
Thanks for your support. 😊👌
The idiots are actually at the end of my road.
You know, the type of temporary “road works” where rhere are no roadworks, the road is untouched, temporary lights have been placed, and cars queue back in all directions.
Meanwhile, a hole has been dug on a pavement in the side street well away from the site.
H&S you know.
I’m observant, It’s a terrible affliction, especially when mixed in with my terrible humour but anything to do with road works and Council works seems to follow a similar pattern of disorganised and wholely wastefull practices all paid for (ultimately) by us. It’s the little things like the bloke sent out to look for pot holes and sprey paint around the damage, take pictures, Geo locate them and drive around to the next one in a Van with plenty room for a Shovel and some ready mix.
Every place in the UK seems to have the same Issues and wastefull practices.
Just last year, a major road near us was closed for 3 weeks, dug up, pipes laid, re surfaced, re marked and swept only for another set of road works to follow a week later and two more over the next couple of months. The surface now resembles the Somme and there are still a few signs and sand bags scattered around.
As a Biker, It’s near criminal at times, especially in the dark and wet. But there has never been any thought for us Two Wheelers in all the years.
Am I now Moaning ? I think I am, maybe I’ll stop now.
“One to beam up Scotty”.
So they’re retraining soldiers to be RA gunners first with L118 and then the plentiful… ARCHER!
So they are sharing guns?
There seems to be a problem with this🤔😉🤣
Well they need someone to operate the 240 RCH-155s that are on the way 🤷🏻♂️
Yep a cap badge is needed. Look excellent. King agrees. Cost is probably peanuts in the scheme of things but someone will moan. All good in my book.
Well the Brigade of Gurkhas has had Infantry, Engineers, Signals, Logistics, and AGC units, so why not RA.
I think these are new intake from Gurkha Coy at Catterick too, not just retains.
A new Regiment does not mean expansion in guns for the RA though, not yet.
I had read that initially that the Regiments Batteries will be dispersed amongst other RA Regiments rather than form a collective whole.
This perhaps fits with Government policy at the moment.
If you are going to welcome people to this country they might as well be Gurkhas and if you are trying to boost manufacturing then Artillary seems like it would be in the starting line-up.
Perhaps I am giving them too much credit.
I quite agree.
With the starting line-up or the too much credit?
Silver.
With expanding the RA, and having Gurkhas come here.
While we are at it, might as well create a King’s Fijian Artillery (KFA) and give them 1 Archer.
Introduce sponsoring too.
“By Tesco” emblazoned on the side.
They could shout ‘get a little extra’ as the artillery is fired. I mentioned the Fijians because we have 2000 of them in the Army now.
Well known for their presence in Scottish Battalions I believe.
Embarrassing…
Which part?
That the RA has 14 155mm pieces is a national embarrassment.
That the Army is trying to expand the RA and forming this new Regiment which results in freeing posts elsewhere is not embarrassing, it’s sensible.
Daniele, just looked at Global Firepower Index. With 14 SPGs we are on a par with Botswana, Libya, Lebanon and Peru.
Every other ENATO country of course has more SPGs than the RA – ranging from Denmark (19), Lithuania (21), Portugal & Hungary (24) up to Germany (134), Greece (589), Poland (677) and Turkey (1,038!!).
I know. It is indeed a national embarrassment.
Sadly, the nation aren’t interested and prefer Love Island, benefits, or what they can claim.
Great to see such good soldiers forming an artillery regiment but is this because we cannot get enough of our lads to join the Army or the MOD trying to get something on the cheap? Or could it be we have given all our heavy guns to Ukraine.
Think it’s a bit of both mate.
It helps that there are thousands of willing Nepalese to volunteer.
The Army wants to expand GBAD area of the RA. This frees up existing posts to form a third AD Regiment.
The British Army currently fields 169 artillery pieces of which:
126 are L118 Light Gun (towed 105mm)
29 MLRS launchers
14 Archer 155mm
All AS-90 have now been donated to Ukraine.
47 extra MRLS are on order (expected by 2029)
240 RCH on order (enters service in 2029)
Is the UK Ready for war? well, not for another 4 years or so.
What’s the source for 240 RCH?
I’ve never seen a reliable one. Not aware of any order yet placed.
240 would be excellent, but as always with HMG MoD I smell a rat.
Daniele
I use co-pilot AI to search these days, for simple answers. It’s better than plain old Google.
Quoted from:
www.
army-technology.
com
Article: “German plan for 160 Boxer-based artillery reveals UK’s RCH 155 order”
It is saying we are likely to buy 240, but as you suggest, it’s speculative, not concrete.
Ha.
Yes, I’ve been intrigued playing with the Google AI.
It has some intersting answers not always correct re our military, with other subjects I’d inputed.
The advantage is that the information returned is collated and summarised, and the sources listed, so it saves some time reading many search result links.
It is not always accurate, but then again, there is a lot of junk pages/opinions being posted out there anyway.
If you count 24 guns, 24 ammo tenders, HQ, comms & FOO recce then 60 Boxers per regiment seems about right. 4 regiments 240.
Yes, but Spock mentioned 240 RCH155 planned, not supporting Boxer vehicles.
And I’d be horrified, why are we buying Boxer for those roles when a cheaper vehicle would be good enough?
There are 2 Regiments in the current ORBAT that could use this. Not 4.
1 RHA, 19RA.
4 RA was the third and that is with 7 Light Mech Bde. Maybe they get it. Good.
The fourth was 3 RHA, now a MLRS Regiment.
The 4 Regiments legend goes back to the original future fires requirement when we had 2 AI Brigades and 2 Strike Brigades planned.
So that leaves:
The RA is about to be greatly expanded. How? With no uplift in overall Army numbers? I believe that is why the KGA is being created to free up posts.
Existing Regiments will have more guns. But where are the supports for them? 2 crew. Dern explained the issues with that with a whole load of jobs 2 men will struggle with.
Or 240 is cobblers. ( My position, love to be wrong!)
We will know soon enough.
I wasn’t saying it is fact just that 4 regiments maybe where the 240 number comes from. BTW the idea that the 2 crewed 155RCH drastically reduces manning in artillery regiments is false. Yes the gun crew is reduced but they will still need plenty of people to handle ammunition, signallers, commanders, FOOs, recce parties, mechanics, cooks, etc, etc. Moreover redesigned arty regiments (probably tank, recce, arm Inf too) are going to probably require organic air defence in this drone age. Can see a situation arising where every unit has an organic drone/anti drone sqn or Coy.
Hi Rob.
Yes, pretty much as Dern described. And jobs for individual vehicles like stag and applying camo nets.
And there is no sign of any such uplift in people beyond this deck chair shuffling by adding Gurkhas to the RAs ranks.
There have been calls for the Army to adopt Combined Arms Regiments with all arms represented. No idea if the Army will adopt such.
It’s been reported in German media, where the German Army is going to receive 100 MLRS, 110 Pz2000 and 160 RCH155s.
The recent joint UK-German Defence Agreement announced that there would be a joint procurement of 400 RCHs. So the “assumption” is that 240 of the 400 on order would be for the UK. This is separate to the Ukraine requirement, who are talking about additional units to their 54 RCHs on order.
If this really is the case, then the RA is set for a major improvement in lethality. Perhaps backing up the tenfold increase in lethality that the MoD are publicising. Hurry up and wait!
Morning Davey.
Ah, yes. This was reported quite a while ago.
Amazing there wasn’t an “up to” inserted in the British side.
Yes I enjoy reading it, I wouldn’t knock it.
Daniele, Halfwit, The 623 Boxers so far ordered do not include RCH-155 as selection of that SPG by the renowned artillery expert, Rishi Sunak MP, came later.
Wiki:
The current totals are broken out by Role only and are given for 523/623 order quantities.
85/146 Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV)SPG
60/60 Engineer Section Vehicle (ESV)
62/62 Recce/Fire Support Vehicles (Recce/FSV)
28/28 Mortar Carrying Variant (MCV)
50/50 Equipment Support/ES Repair (Rep)
123/158 Command-and-Control (C2V) and C2 Utility (C2U)
19/19 Observation Post Vehicle (OPV)
24/24 Beyond-Line-Of-Sight (BLOS) observation platforms
11/11 Electronic Warfare and SIGINT (ESWI) platforms
61/65 Ambulance
There is also an unknown quantity of Boxer RCH-155 to add to these totals (96 planned in the Mobile Fire Platform Programme)
See!!!!! The MOD are buying new kit. I wonder where the badges are made?
I would have though if we were to deploy 240 RCH155’s we are also going to need more EPLS trucks ( and crews ) as well