Royal School of Artillery (Larkhill)

Royal School of Artillery (Larkhill)
Name	Royal School of Artillery (Larkhill)
Established	1915
Location	Larkhill, Wiltshire
Type	Military training establishment
Parent	British Army
Coordinates	51.1789°N 1.8626°W

Royal School of Artillery (Larkhill) The Royal School of Artillery (Larkhill) is a principal British Army institution for artillery training, assessment, and doctrine development, associated with British Army, Royal Regiment of Artillery, Army Recruiting and Training Division, Defence Academy of the United Kingdom and allied schools. It supports capability across conventional formations including 1st (United Kingdom) Division, 3rd (United Kingdom) Division, 14th Army, NATO partners and international customers such as United States Army, French Army, German Army and Canadian Army through collective and individual training. Its remit connects to historical predecessors including Royal Artillery depots, links to campaigns like the First World War, Second World War, Falklands War and doctrinal influences from figures such as Winston Churchill, Bernard Montgomery, Henry Rawlinson and institutions like Staff College, Camberley.

History

The establishment grew from pre‑1914 artillery training on Salisbury Plain involving units such as the Royal Horse Artillery, Royal Field Artillery, Royal Garrison Artillery and depot arrangements at Woolwich Arsenal, Larkhill Camp and Aldershot Garrison. During the First World War expansion paralleled developments at Loos and Ypres while interwar reforms responded to lessons from Gallipoli and doctrinal debates driven by authors like J. F. C. Fuller and B. H. Liddell Hart. In the Second World War Larkhill supported preparations for operations including Operation Overlord, Operation Torch and development of systems later used in Korean War. Cold War-era changes linked to NATO exercises such as Exercise REFORGER and technological shifts influenced by companies like Royal Ordnance, GEC-Marconi and policies from the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom). Recent reorganisations followed strategic reviews including the Strategic Defence Review (1998) and the Defence Review 2010 with partnerships across Joint Forces Command and multinational frameworks such as Multinational Division (South-East).

Location and Facilities

Located on Salisbury Plain near Stonehenge, Larkhill sits within Wiltshire adjacent to training areas used by formations like Household Division units, with firing ranges that have supported trials for the AS90, M777, NLAW and drone systems. The campus comprises live‑fire ranges, classrooms linked to Royal Military Academy Sandhurst curricula, simulation suites developed with QinetiQ, workshops used by Defence Equipment and Support and accommodation similar to barracks at Tidworth Camp and Bulford Camp. Range control co-ordinates safety with agencies including Natural England for conservation on Salisbury Plain and maintains liaison with local authorities such as Wiltshire Council and heritage bodies like English Heritage because of proximity to Stonehenge World Heritage Site.

Training and Courses

Courses encompass individual soldier training, specialist courses for officers and warrant officers, and collective training for batteries, brigades and multinational units. Programs include gunnery instruction for systems such as AS90, L118 105mm howitzer, MLRS and counter‑battery radar courses using platforms from Thales Group and Lockheed Martin, as well as joint fires coordination linking to Royal Air Force strike planners, Army Air Corps aviators, Royal Navy littoral fire support elements and NATO fire support doctrines. Professional development aligns with qualifications recognised by civilian bodies and is influenced by publications from Field Artillery Magazine and doctrine from Allied Joint Doctrine Publication. Training exercises have interworked with units from United States Marine Corps, Netherlands Army, Polish Land Forces, Australian Army and academic partners such as King's College London.

Organisation and Command

The school operates under the chain aligned to the Adjutant General's Corps and the Director Royal Artillery with command appointments drawn from senior officers who have served in formations like 1st Armoured Division and postings to staffs at Permanent Joint Headquarters. Sub‑units include instructional batteries, range squadrons, the fire support integration cell and a doctrine and trials wing that interfaces with Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and industry partners. Leadership roles have been held by officers who later served in positions at Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), NATO commands and multinational headquarters such as Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.

Equipment and Technology

Equipment fielded and trialled at Larkhill includes artillery pieces like the AS90, M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System, M777, L119 light gun and associated ballistic computers, inertial navigation from Honeywell and fire control consoles integrated with command systems such as Battlefield Management System suites. Surveillance and targeting technologies comprise counter‑battery radars (e.g., COBRA), unmanned aerial systems from General Atomics, precision‑guided munitions developed with industry partners like BAE Systems and satellite communications interoperable with Skynet (satellite) assets. Simulation and wargaming tools use software from Bohemia Interactive Simulations, modelling collaborations with academic groups at University of Oxford and industry labs from Thales Group.

Notable Operations and Alumni

Alumni and associated officers have served in high‑profile operations such as Operation Telic, Operation Herrick, Operation Granby and multinational deployments to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo. Graduates have included battery commanders and senior staff who progressed to commands in British Army, appointments within NATO Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, civic roles in Wiltshire and academic posts at institutions like Cranfield University. The school’s doctrine and trials contributed to capability used in operations such as Operation Veritas and influenced procurement decisions involving companies such as BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies.

Category:Military training establishments of the United Kingdom Category:Royal Artillery Category:Salisbury Plain