Royal Nepal Army

The Nepali Army (), also referred to as the Gorkhali Army (; see ''Gorkhas''), formally known as "Royal Nepal Army" is the land service branch of the Nepali Armed Forces. After the Gorkha Kingdom was founded in 1559, its army was established in 1560, and initially became known as the ''Gorkhali Army.'' Later it was known as the ''Royal Nepali Army'' (RNA) following the Unification of Nepal, when the Gorkha Kingdom expanded its territory to include the whole country, by conquering and annexing the other states in the region, resulting in the establishment of a single united Hindu monarchy over all of Nepal. It was officially renamed simply to the ''Nepali Army'' on 28 May 2008, upon the abolition of the 240-year-old Nepalese monarchy, and of the 449-year-old rule of the Shah dynasty, shortly after the Nepalese Civil War.

The Nepali Army has participated in various conflicts throughout its history, going as far back as the Nepali unification campaign launched by Prithvi Narayan Shah of the Gorkha Kingdom. It has engaged in an extensive number of battles within South Asia, and continues to take part in global conflicts as part of United Nations peacekeeping coalitions.

The Nepali Army is headquartered in Kathmandu and the incumbent Chief of Army Staff is General Ashok Raj Sigdel.

History

The Nepal unification campaign was a turning point in the history of the Nepali army. Since unification was not possible without a strong army, the management of the armed forces had to be exceptional. Apart from the standard Malla-era temples in Kathmandu, the army organized itself in Gorkha. After the Gorkhali troops captured Nuwakot, the hilly northern part of Kathmandu (Kantipur) in 1744, the Gorkhali armed forces came to be known as the Royal Nepali Army.

Their performance impressed their enemies so much that the British East India Company started recruiting Nepali troops into their forces. The native British soldiers called the new soldiers "Gurkhas". The Gurkha-Sikh War began shortly after, in 1809 and the Anglo-Nepalese War in 1814. It became even more involved in the British Indian Army until independence, remaining an independent entity (since it was a protected state of the British Raj until 1947, though nominal autonomy had been achieved in 1923). In 1946, the Royal Nepali Army troops were led by Commanding General Baber Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana at the Victory Parade in London.

Prior to 2006, the Royal Nepali Army was under the control of the King of Nepal. Following the 2006 Democracy Movement () on 18 May, a bill was passed by the Nepali parliament curtailing royal power, which included renaming the army to simply the Nepali Army.

In 2004, Nepal spent $99.2 million on its military (1.5% of its GDP). Between 2002 and 2006, the RNA was involved in the Nepali Civil War. They were also used to quell pro-democracy protesters during the 2006 democracy movement.

Organization

The Nepali Army has about 95,000 infantry army and air service members protecting the sovereignty of Nepal. In August 2018, The Himalayan Times estimated total army forces to be around 96,000 while The Kathmandu Post estimated it to be 92,000.

Supreme Command

The position of the Supreme Commander of the Nepalese Army is the President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. Until 2006, the King of Nepal (monarchy abolished) was in control of all military forces in the country. The National Army was renamed from Royal Nepalese Army to Nepalese Army after the recent national conversion from a monarchy to a republic on 4th Jestha 2063 B.S.

National Defence Council

This Council has seven members, the Prime Minister, the Defence Minister, the Chief of the Army Staff, Foreign Minister, Finance Minister, Home Minister and the Chief Secretary.

The President of Nepal is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

Divisions

The Nepalese Army is divided into eight divisions, one each in the seven provinces and one in the Kathmandu Valley.

In addition there are at least 7 independent units:

* Army Aviation Directorate
* Special Forces Brigade
* VVIP Security
* Artillery Brigade
* Signals Brigade
* Engineers Brigade
* Air Defense Brigade

Chiefs of the Nepali Army

The chiefs of the Nepali Army were mostly drawn from noble Chhetri families from the Gorkha Kingdom such as the Pande dynasty, Kunwar family, Basnyat dynasty, and Thapa dynasty before the rule of the Rana dynasty. During the Shah monarchy, the officers were drawn from these aristocratic families. During the Rana dynasty, the Ranas claimed the position as their birthright. The first army chief of was King Prithvi Narayan Shah who drafted and commanded the army. The first civilian army chief was Kalu Pande, a Kaji who had a significant role in the unification campaign. He was considered head of the army due to his undertaking of army duties and responsibilities, not by a formal title.

Bhimsen Thapa, Mukhtiyar from 1806 to 1837, was the first person to be given the title '' Commander-in-Chief'' as head of the army. King Rajendra Bikram Shah appointed Bhimsen to the post and praised him for his long service to the nation. However, on 14 June 1837, the King took over command of all battalions previously under the charge of various courtiers, and became the commander-in-chief. Immediately after the incarceration of the Thapas in 1837, Dalbhanjan Pande and Rana Jang Pande were the joint heads of the military administration. Rana Jang was removed after three months in October 1837.

Since the command of ''Mukhtiyar'' Bhimsen, only seven army chiefs were non-Rana- Chhetris, including Shahs ( Thakuris), until 1951. The commander-in-chief title was replaced by Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) from General Singha Pratap Shah in 1979.

Operations

Conflicts defending the Kingdom of Nepal

*Battle against Mir Qasim (1763)
*Battle of Pauwa Gadhi against Captain Kinloch (1767)
* Anglo-Nepali War (1814–1816)
* First Nepal-Tibet War
* Nepal-China War (1788–1792)
* Nepal-Tibet War (1855–1856)
* Nepali Civil War (1996–2006)

Battles during the unification of Nepal

* Battle of Kirtipur
*Battle of Kathmandu
* Battle of Bhaktapur
*Limbuwan–Gorkha War
*Invasion of Doti Kingdom

International conflicts

* Indian Sepoy Mutiny
* World War I (Casualties)
* Waziristan War
* Afghan War (1919)
* World War II
* Hyderabad Action (1948)

International operations

The Nepali Army has contributed more than 100,000 peacekeepers to a variety of United Nations-sponsored peacekeeping missions such as:
* United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL),
* UNOSOMII the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), UN Operational Mission Somalia II,
* MINUSTAH the United Nations Mission in Haiti,
* UNAMSILan 800-man battalion was sent to serve in the peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone,
* UNMISThe Nepali Army sent a protection company of 200 personnel for the United Nations Mission In Sudan. The Redeployment Coordination Headquarters (RCHQ) at Kassala was also manned by the Nepali contingent. The RCHQ was intended to monitor withdrawals from the eastern sectors of the UNMIS area under the Sudan Comprehensive Peace Accord.
* UNDOF,
* MINUSMAFor the first time, the Nepali Army sent an EOD company of 140 personnel specially dedicated to the improvised explosive device (IED) and ordnance disposal mission in Mali.

US-Nepal military relations

The US-Nepali military relationship focuses on support for democratic institutions, civilian control of the military, and the professional military ethic. Both countries have had extensive contact over the years. Nepali Army units have served with distinction alongside American forces in places such as Haiti, Iraq, and Somalia.

US-Nepali military engagement continues today through the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program, Enhanced International Peacekeeping Capabilities (EIPC) program, Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI), and various conferences and seminars. The US military sends many Nepali Army officers to America to attend military schools, such as the Command and General Staff College and the US Army War College. The IMET budget for FY2001 was $220,000.

The EIPC program is an inter-agency program between the US Department of Defense and US Department of State to increase the pool of international peacekeepers and to promote interoperability. Nepal received about $1.9 million in EIPC funding.

The US Commander in Chief, Pacific Command (CINCPAC) coordinates military engagement with Nepal through the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC). The ODC Nepal is located in the American Embassy in Kathmandu.

Units

The first four army units are the Shreenath, Kali Baksh (Kalibox), Barda Bahadur, and Sabuj companies, founded in August 1762 by King Prithvi Narayan Shah with the Gurung, Magar, Chhetri and Thakuri clans, well before the unification of Nepal. The Purano Gorakh Company was founded in February 1763 and is the army's fifth oldest unit.

* Shree Nath Battalionestablished 1762
* Shree Kali Buksh Battalionestablished 1762
* Shree Barda Bahadur Battalionestablished 1762
* Shree Sabuj Battalionestablished 1762
* Shree Purano Gorakh Battalionestablished 1763
* Shree Devi Datta Battalionestablished 1783
* Shree Naya Gorakh Battalionestablished 1783
* Shree Bhairavi Dal Battalionestablished 1785
* Shree Singhanath Battalionestablished 1786 (commando)
* Shree Shreejung Battalionestablished 1783
* Shree Ranabhim Battalionestablished 1783
* Shree Naya Shree Nath Battalionestablished 1783
* Shree Vajradal Companyestablished 1806
* Shree Shree Mehar Battalionestablished 1779
* Shree "The Famous" Mahindra Dal Battalionestablished 1844
* Shree Rajdal Regiment (Artillery) (currently expanded to three additional independent Artillery regiments)
* Shree Ganeshdal Battalionestablished 1846 (signals and communications)
* Shree Ranabam Battalion established 1847
* Shree Nepal Cavalryestablished 1849, Household Cavalry ceremonial unit since 1952
* Shree Durga Bhanjan Campanyestablished 1862
* Shree Kali Prasad Battalion (Engineers)established 1863
* Shree Bhairavnath Battalionestablished 1910 (parachute battalion)
* Shree Bhagvati Prasad Companyestablished 1927
* Shree Khadga Dal Battalionestablished 1937
* Shree Parshwavarti Companyestablished 1936 (served as PM's bodyguard unit and disbanded in 1952)
* Shree Gorkah Bahadur Battalionestablished 1952 (infantry unit, then developed for royal guard duty)
* Shree Jagadal Battalion (air defence)
* Shree Yuddha Kawaj Battalion (mechanized infantry)
* Shree Mahabir Battalion (Rangers Battalion, equivalent to the US Army Rangers (part of the Nepali Army Special Operation Force))
* Shree Chandan Nath Battalionestablished 2004 (infantry unit)
* Shree Tara Dal Battalionestablished 2002 (infantry unit)
* Shree No 1 Disaster Management Battalionestablished 2012
* Shree No 2 Disaster Management Battalionestablished 2012

Schools

* Nepalese Army Command and Staff College, Shivapuri
* Nepalese Army War College, Nagarkot
* Nepalese Military Academy, Kharipati
* Nepalese Army Recruit Training Center, Trishuli
* Nepalese Army Jungle Warfare School, Amlekhgunj
* Nepalese Army High Altitude and Mountain Warfare School, Mustang
* Nepalese Army Intelligence School, Kharipati
* Nepalese Army Logistics School, Chhauni
* Birendra Peace Keeping Operation Training Center, Panchkhal
* Nepalese Army Para Training School, Maharajgunj
* Nepalese Army EME school, Kharipati

Female participation in Nepal Army

The unofficial participation of women in Nepal Army was first during the Anglo-Nepalese War on Battle of Nalapani. Battle of Nalapani was the first battle of the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814–1816, fought between the forces of the British East India Company and Nepal, then ruled by the Gorkha Kingdom. Nepalese women were heavily involved in this battle supporting the male Gurkha warriors. With no firearms in hand, Nepalese women fought British troops with stones and wood.

According to the Nepal Army YouTube channel programme Nepali Senama Mahila Sahabhagita (documentary) - Episode 405, the official participation of women in the Nepal Army started in 1961 in the post of Nurse. Now the regular forces also include a significant number of female soldiers holding key appointments and commands.Nepali Senama Mahila Sahabhagita - Episode 405
/ref>
The timeline of official women's participation in the Nepal Army is as follow:
* 1961 - Nurses
* 1965 - Parachute folding women team
* 1969 - Medical doctors
* 1998 - Lawyers
* 2004 - Engineering
* 2011 - Aviation

Notable female officers of Nepal Army

* Brigadier General Dr. Radha Shah - First woman to become Brigadier General of Nepal Army
* Brigadier General Dr. Narvada Thapa - First female staff of Nepal Army to get doctorate degree (P.Hd)
* Colonel Dr. Sarita K.C - First Nepalese army female personnel to join UN Peacekeeping mission (UNIFIL)
* Major Kriti Rajbhandari - First woman observer military liaison officer from Nepal Army
* Colonel Yvetta Rana - First woman officer of Judge Advocate General Department of Nepal Army
* Colonel Sovana Rayamajhi - First woman officer (Computer Engineer) to join the Information Technology Department of Nepal Army
* Major Niru Dhungana - One of the first female military pilots
* Major Anita Ale Magar - One of the first female military pilots
* Major Shristhi Khadka - First woman company commander of Nepal Army

Equipment

The majority of equipment used by the army is imported from other countries. India is the army's largest supplier of arms and ammunition as well as other logistical equipment, which are often furnished under generous military grants. Germany, the United States, Belgium, Israel, and South Korea have also either supplied or offered arms to the Nepali Army.

The army's first standard rifle was the Belgian FN FAL, which it adopted in 1960. Nepali FALs were later complemented by unlicensed, Indian-manufactured variants of the same weapon, as well its British counterpart, the L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle. Beginning in 2002 these were officially supplemented in army service by the American M-16 rifle, which took the FAL's place as the army's standard service rifle. Nevertheless, the FAL and its respective variants remain the single most prolific weapon in Nepali army service, with thousands of second-hand examples being supplied by India as late as 2005.

Small arms

Heavy weapons

Vehicles

Rank structure

Commissioned officers

Other ranks

See also

* Armed Police Force Nepal
*Nepal Police
* List of military operations involving Gurkhas
*Nepal Army Club
*Biraj Thapa Magar

Notes

References

Further reading

*
*
*
*
*

External links

Official website of the Nepali ArmyOfficial website of the Nepali Army Command and Staff CollegeNepal
*
Prem Singh Basnyat Nepalese Army In The History Of NepalThe Deft Politicking of Nepal’s Army
2013
*Ghimire, S. (2016)
Security Sector Reform Organic: Infrastructure for Peace as an Entry Point?
Peacebuilding.
{{Government Agencies of Nepal

Army
Nepal
.
Nepali Army