In a move that’s raising more questions than confidence, the British Army has announced the creation of a brand-new artillery regiment, without equipping it with any modern artillery.
The newly formed King’s Gurkha Artillery (KGA) was unveiled as a landmark addition to the Brigade of Gurkhas, yet it launches into service at a time when the UK’s main artillery system, the AS90, has just been retired. As it stands, the regiment has no dedicated firepower of its own.
Instead, the KGA will rely on outdated L118 105mm light guns for training, and share a small number of Archer 155mm self-propelled howitzers with other units on rotation in Estonia and Poland under Operation Cabrit. The Army currently operates just 14 Archer systems and 126 L118 guns, neither of which provide a long-term solution for modern warfare.
The plan is for the KGA to eventually operate the RCH 155, a next-generation artillery platform jointly developed with Germany. But that system won’t be operational with the British Army until 2029, with full capability not expected until 2032, just two years before the Archers and L118s are due to be withdrawn.
Until then, military experts say the KGA risks being little more than a Potemkin unit, a force with a proud name and no weapons to match.
Old Guns, New Regiment
Initially, Gurkha soldiers will be trained on the L118, a towed artillery piece with a maximum range of 17km. This gun must be transported into position, offering little mobility or protection on a modern battlefield where drones and long-range precision strikes dominate.
In contrast, even commercial drones adapted for military use can now strike well beyond 10km. Compared to the increasingly automated, mobile firepower of peer adversaries, the L118 is already considered out of step with modern warfare requirements.
Currently, the Army’s only credible medium-to-long-range capability comes from the Archer systems, which are committed to NATO’s eastern flank. However, these are not permanently assigned to the KGA and are only available during rotational deployments.
The Ministry of Defence has also yet to finalise plans to expand the UK’s M270 multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) fleet. As of 29 April, officials confirmed that “no final decision” had been made regarding the proposed procurement of 15 additional launchers.
400 Gurkhas, But Are They All New?
The Government announced that the KGA would “take on 400 Gurkha personnel”, but internal details suggest the regiment will be built using a mixture of existing personnel transferring from other trades and a smaller annual intake of new recruits.
A four-year formation timeline has been outlined to allow the regiment to build its rank structure, create promotion opportunities, and establish itself as a core component of the Brigade of Gurkhas.
Despite the long timeline and lack of new weaponry, no financial incentives are being offered to those joining the KGA. Officials say the opportunity is instead being positioned as a career development pathway within the Army.
The first cohort of recruits will complete basic training by November 2025, before undertaking specialist artillery training at Larkhill Garrison in Wiltshire, home of the Royal Artillery. For now, this training will only cover the L118 light gun. Experience with the Archer system will come later, but only when the regiment deploys as part of Operation Cabrit.
There are currently around 4,000 Gurkhas serving in the British Army, all recruited from Nepal, with thousands applying each year for a limited number of positions.
A Name Without Firepower?
With no modern artillery system of its own, the King’s Gurkha Artillery may struggle to be taken seriously until the RCH 155 finally arrives, assuming it arrives on time. If there are delays, the British Army could be left in the astonishing position of having an artillery regiment without any operational guns.
Critics argue that the KGA, while symbolically important, offers little in the way of immediate capability. Until 2029, it appears to be more about rebranding and restructuring than delivering new battlefield firepower.
