The Nepali Army (Nepali: नेपाली सेना, romanized: Nēpālī Sēnā), also referred as the Gorkhali Army (गोरखाली सेना, Gōrakhālī Sēnā; see Gorkhas), 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 was accordingly known as the Gorkhali Army. The army later became 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 Prabhu Ram Sharma.

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. In 1946, the Royal Nepali Army troops were led by Commanding General Baber Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana at the Victory Parade in London.

Former Indian Army Chief and Field Marshal, Sam Manekshaw, once stated that: "If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or he is a Gorkhali."

Prior to 2006, the Royal Nepali Army was under the control of the King of Nepal. Following the 2006 Democracy Movement (Nepali: लोकतन्त्र आन्दोलन, romanized: Loktantra Āndolan) on 18 May, a bill was passed by the Nepali parliament curtailing royal power, which included renaming the army to simply the Nepali Army.^[3]

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.

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^[4] while The Kathmandu Post estimated it to be 92,000.^[5]

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 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.^[19]

• Shree Nath Battalion – established 1762
• Shree Kali Buksh Battalion – established 1762
• Shree Barda Bahadur Battalion – established 1762
• Shree Sabuj Battalion – established 1762
• Shree Purano Gorakh Battalion – established 1763
• Shree Devi Datta Battalion – established 1783
• Shree Naya Gorakh Battalion – established 1783
• Shree Bhairavi Dal Battalion – established 1785
• Shree Singhanath Battalion – established 1786 (commando)
• Shree Shreejung Battalion – established 1783
• Shree Ranabhim Battalion – established 1783
• Shree Naya Shree Nath Battalion – established 1783
• Shree Vajradal Company – established 1806
• Shree Shree Mehar Battalion – established 1779
• Shree "The Famous" Mahindra Dal Battalion – established 1844
• Shree Rajdal Regiment (Artillery) (currently expanded to three additional independent Artillery regiments)
• Shree Ganeshdal Battalion – established 1846 (signals and communications)
• Shree Ranabam Battalion  – established 1847
• Shree Nepal Cavalry – established 1849, Household Cavalry ceremonial unit since 1952
• Shree Durga Bhanjan Campany – established 1862
• Shree Kali Prasad Battalion (Engineers) – established 1863
• Shree Bhairavnath Battalion – established 1910 (parachute battalion)
• Shree Bhagvati Prasad Company – established 1927
• Shree Khadga Dal Battalion – established 1937
• Shree Parshwavarti Company – established 1936 (served as PM's bodyguard unit and disbanded in 1952)
• Shree Gorkah Bahadur Battalion – established 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 Battalion – established 2004 (infantry unit)
• Shree Tara Dal Battalion – established 2002 (infantry unit)
• Shree No 1 Disaster Management Battalion – established 2012
• Shree No 2 Disaster Management Battalion – established 2012

• 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

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 automatic weapons in hands Nepalese women fought with British troops with stones and woods. According to Nepal Army YouTube channel "Nepali Army" programme Nepali Senama Mahila Sahabhagita (documentary) - Episode 405, the official participation of women in Nepal Army started in 1961 in the post of Nurse. The timeline of official women's participation in Nepal Army is as follow:

• 1961 - Nurses
• 1965 - Parachute folding women team
• 1969 - Medical doctors
• 1998 - Lawyers
• 2004 - Engineering
• 2011 - Aviation

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.^[20] Germany, the United States, Belgium, Israel, and South Korea have also either supplied or offered arms to the Nepali Army.^[21]

The army's first standard rifle was the Belgian FN FAL, which it adopted in 1960.^[21] Nepali FALs were later complemented by unlicensed, Indian-manufactured variants of the same weapon, as well its British counterpart, the L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle.^[21] 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.^[21] 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.^[20]

Small arms

More information Weapon, Origin ...

Weapon	Origin	Type	Calibre	Notes
Pistols
Hi-Power	Belgium	Semi-automatic pistol	9×19mm	FN P-35 variant.[22]
Submachine guns
MP5[20]	West Germany	Submachine Gun	9×19mm
Sten[22]	United Kingdom	Submachine Gun
Sterling[22]
Uzi[23]	Israel
Rifle and Carbines
INSAS rifle[21]	India	Assault rifle	5.56×45mm	The Nepali Army had about 25,000 INSAS rifles in 2006.[24]
G36	Germany
M-16	United States			Standard service rifle of the Nepali Army.[21]
CAR-15[20]		Carbine
M4 carbine		Carbine
IMI Galil[20]	Israel	Assault rifle
IWI Tavor		Assault rifle		Used by Army Special Forces, Ranger Battalion.
Tavor X95		Assault rifle		Used by Army Special Forces, Ranger Battalion. Often seen with GL40 UBGL, shown to be OTB compatible.
IWI ACE		Assault rifle	7.62×39mm	Limited use by Military Police.[25]
AKM	Soviet Union	Assault rifle		Confiscated from Maoist guerrillas during insurgency.[20]
Type 56	China	Assault rifle		300 purchased from China in 2010.[20]
L1A2 SLR	United Kingdom	Battle rifle	7.62×51mm	Unlicensed Indian variant designated 1A1.[21]
FN FAL[21]	Belgium
PSG1[20]	Germany	Sniper rifle
Ishapore 2A1	India	Bolt-action rifle		Indian licensed copy of the No. III Enfield, modified for use with 7.62 NATO. New production action and barrel, recycled buttstock from No. III Enfields.[20]
Machine guns
FN Minimi	Belgium	Light machine gun	5.56×45mm	5,500 purchased from Belgium in 2002.[21] Principal LMG/SAW
M249	United States			300 supplied as military aid from the US.[20] Functionally identical to FN Minimi
Bren L4A4[22]	United Kingdom		7.62×51mm	Used in outposts and basic automatic fire training
FN MAG[22]	Belgium	General Purpose Machine Gun		Principal GPMG, used on vehicle mounts.

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Heavy weapons

More information Weapon, Origin ...

Weapon	Origin	Type	Calibre	Notes
Air defence
Bofors L/70[26]	Sweden	Anti-aircraft gun	40mm
QF 3.7-inch AA gun[26]	United Kingdom		94mm	45 in service.
Artillery
OTO Melara Mod 56	Italy	Pack howitzer	105mm	14 in service.[27]
Mortar
120-PM-43	Soviet Union	Mortar	120mm	70 in service[28]
M 29	United States	Mortar	81mm	[28]

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Vehicles

More information Vehicle, Origin ...

Vehicle	Origin	Type	Quantity	Notes
Armoured cars
Daimler Ferret	United Kingdom	Scout car	40[28]	Ferret Mk4 variant.[28]
Armoured personnel carriers
Casspir	South Africa	MRAP	37[29]
Aditya	India		~124[28]
VN-4	China		63
OT-64	Czechoslovakia	Armoured personnel carrier	8
WZ551	China	Infantry fighting vehicle	5	Acquired from China in 2005.

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