47th Regiment Royal Artillery

47th Regiment Royal Artillery
Active 1947 – present
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Branch  British Army
Role UAV
Size 4 Batteries
Part of Joint Helicopter Command[1]
Garrison/HQ Horne Barracks, Larkhill, Wiltshire
Nickname(s) The Hampshire & Sussex Gunners
Equipment Thales Watchkeeper WK450
Soldier from 21 (Gibraltar 1779–83) Air Assault Battery RA (serving with 16th Air Assault Brigade) raising the Union Flag.

47th Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It is equipped with the Thales Watchkeeper WK450. It is currently located at Horne Barracks, Larkhill in Wiltshire.

History

The regiment was formed in 1947 when 4th Coast Training Regiment Royal Artillery was renamed 47th Coast Training Regiment Royal Artillery.[2] It was reformed as 47th Guided Weapons Regiment Royal Artillery and equipped with the Corporal missile in 1957.[2] In 1965 it was renamed 47th Light Regiment Royal Artillery and equipped with the 105mm Pack Howitzer and then deployed to Aden in 1967.[2] It saw service in Northern Ireland during the Troubles in 1973 and 1975.[2] It was re-equipped with the 105mm light gun in 1976 and renamed 47th Field Regiment Royal Artillery when it re-equipped with the Abbott gun in 1981.[2] 21 Battery deployed to the South Atlantic during the Falklands War in 1982.[2] 3 Battery and 31 Battery both took part in the Gulf War in 1991.[2] 21 Battery saw action in Bosnia in 1995 and elements of 31 Battery were deployed to the Macedonia and to Kosovo in 1999.[2] Between 2001 and 2014 elements of the Regiment were deployed on Operation Herrick in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.[3]

Current use

The Regiment is the sole operator of the Thales Watchkeeper WK450 UAS.

Batteries

The batteries are as follows:[4]

Previous Batteries

British Army Restructuring

Under the Army 2020 plans the Regiment relocated from Thorney Island to Larkhill. [5] In January 2017 the Regiment moved from 1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade to the command of Joint Helicopter Command (JHC).

References

  1. 1 2
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "47th Regiment Royal Artillery". British Army Units 1945 on. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  3. ↑ AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. November 2014. p. 8.
  4. ↑ "47 Regiment Batteries". British Army. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  5. ↑ "Regular Basing Plan" (PDF). Ministry of Defence (MoD). Retrieved 8 February 2014.
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