New 400-strong King's Gurkha Artillery regiment announced in front of MPs

A new Gurkha regiment will be formed over the next four years to provide support to the Royal Artillery, it has been announced.

The King's Gurkha Artillery (KGA) was officially announced in Parliament and will become the seventh cap badge of the Brigade of Gurkhas.

It will be responsible for providing close-support artillery batteries as part of the Royal Artillery and give new opportunities to the soldiers of the Brigade of Gurkhas.

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The formation of the 400-strong regiment will start to come together soon, with the first transfers of existing Gurkhas taking place this spring.

Initially, the new unit will form up in Larkhill, Wiltshire, the home of the Royal Artillery, with the new cap badge set to be announced in due course.

Veterans Minister Al Carns said it represents a "new employment opportunity in the Royal Artillery".

He also said it "gives existing and new Gurkhas more choice on where they serve and greater opportunities for career development". 

"The Royal Artillery are a major part of the Army's offer to Nato, and the King's Gurkha Artillery will play a part in supporting key modernisation programmes as part of this offer," he added.