The Punch behind the Iron Fist

The firepower behind 20th Armoured Brigade (The Iron Fist), 26 Regiment Royal Artillery utilises AS90s and Fire Support Teams (FSTs) to strike enemy targets. Three gun batteries equipped with AS90 (155mm self-propelled howitzers) provide integral firepower to strike enemy locations up to 24 kms away. The FSTs find the enemy on the battlefield in Warrior Observation Post Vehicles, using lasers, thermal observation and night vision equipment. Once the enemy location is identified, the FST coordinates guns, mortars, attack helicopters, precision munitions and fast jets to deliver a devastating strike.  While primarily equipped with AS90 which was fired with overwhelming lethality and accuracy in Iraq, 26 Regiment soldiers are also trained on the 105 Light Gun, which is in use in Afghanistan.

 

Location
26 Regiment Royal Artillery is located in Mansergh Barracks, Gütersloh, Germany.  The Regiment is known as 'The West-Midland Gunners' and traditionally recruits throughout the West Midlands.  The Regiment maintains strong ties with the City of Birmingham and was bestowed the great honour of the Freedom of the City of Birmingham in July 2009.

 

Life in 26
Life in a Regiment based in Germany is different from being in the UK, the fact that you are away from home and can’t nip off home every weekend (although you can still get back if you need to) means that the Regimental life becomes much more of a focus, and there is much more of a family feel compared to a UK Regiment. The whole of Europe is on the doorstep and many of our soldiers take the opportunity to travel. Train travel is cheap compared to the UK and you can travel to Berlin in a few hours, if you fancy there is also the opportunity to visit the Czech Republic, Poland, Holland and Belgium all just a short train ride or drive away.

There is also the opportunity to travel when we are training, in the last 12 months the Regiment has exercised in the Czech Republic, Canada, Kenya, Great Britain and of course in Germany. It is not just military training that takes place abroad we have also done quite a bit of adventure training too, in Canada, Belize, France, Norway and Germany.

Sport is an extremely important part of Regimental life, and we always try to make sure that even when the Regiment is extremely busy preparing for operations there is still the opportunity to participate in sporting activities. The Regiment has been extremely successful on the Rugby field in the last season, finishing Runners-Up in the Army Shield and the Football team have also done well over the last couple of seasons. This summer the Regiment will be playing in the Germany inter-unit Cricket competition and entering a Tug-o-War team in the Braemar Highland games.

Other sporting clubs in the Regiment include;
Motor Racing Club
Wakeboarding
Squash
Skiing (Alpine and Nordic)
Hockey