The 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery (7 PARA RHA) is the primary artillery supporting unit for Airborne Forces of 16 Air Assault Brigade.
More commonly known as 7 PARA RHA, the unit initially came into existence as 7th Parachute Light Regiment RA following the redesignation of 33rd Parachute Light Regiment Royal Artillery (also known as 33rd Parachute Field Regiment RA) in June 1961. It can however trace its airborne heritage back to the 53rd Airlanding Light Regiment, RA.
7th Parachute Light Regiment RA was renamed as 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery (7 PARA RHA) in 1966.
Over the years, 7 PARA RHA have supported operations of 16 Parachute Brigade in the Near East, Aden and Radfan, Northern Ireland, as well as UN operations in Cyprus.
The Regiment was redesignated as 7 Field Regiment RHA in 1977, after the 1975 Defence Review, but returned to the Airborne fold in 1983, once more designated 7th Parachute Regiment RHA for the new 5th Airborne Brigade. Further Battery operations to Northern Ireland followed in the 1980s and early 1990s, along with another deployment on the UN mission to Cyprus in 1994.
Batteries of 7 PARA RHA also took part in operations in Bosnia, and later Kosovo in the troubled Balkan region in the mid to late 1990s, helping to ensure 7 PARA RHA was retained as an integral part of 16 Air Assault Brigade, following the army reorganisations in 1999.
In the new millenium, operations of 16 Air Assault Brigade have seen 7 PARA RHA provide crucial fire support for operations in Macedonia, Afghanistan (Fingal) Iraq (Telic) and more recently, the deployments to Afghanistan as part of the ongoing Herrick operations.
Batteries under the command of 7 PARA RHA currently include:
The Regiment is also supported by a REME Light Aid Detachment (LAD REME).
7 PARA RHA returned to Afghanistan in Autumn 2010 as part of Operation Herrick XIII.
Record under development
Commanding Officers
1961 Lt Col T StG Caulfield MBE
(Currently under research)
John A Mundy 