Future for Gutsy Fighters Is in Doubt : Like Old Soldier, Gurkha May Fade Away

LONDON —  For more than 170 years the battlefield value of the Gurkhas has been unquestioned by Britain. Today, the future of the hillmen from Nepal is in jeopardy.

Brave and dedicated guerrilla war specialists, they have fought alongside the British throughout the empire, in Europe and most recently in the Falkland Islands.

Their combat skills with a kukri, a heavy curved knife common to their homeland in the Himalayas, has made them legendary in the world of elite infantry units.

From remote mountain villages in Nepal, some of the short, burly men with dark hair and dark skins walk for days to try to join a unit in which, in many cases, their father or grandfather served during a more primitive age of warfare and a much larger British empire.

Rare Fighting Ability

The army gives them basic training that teaches the rudiments of soldiering, but the Gurkhas have an ability that can rarely be taught. They are considered ruthless opponents who would rather slit the throat of an enemy than take him prisoner--or at least that is part of the mystique that has followed the force for generations.

Their motto is, “It is better to die than to be a coward.”

In recent years their imperial role has declined and is now concentrated on guarding Hong Kong. But that will end in 1997 when Britain pulls out of Hong Kong and China takes control.

What happens next to the Gurkhas has not been decided. But of all the issues surrounding the withdrawal from Hong Kong, few seem capable of creating such concern in Britain as the future of the highly decorated warriors.

Brigade Will Survive

The brigade, which consists of more than 7,500 soldiers in five battalions, will survive, but in what size and shape is unclear.

Archibald Hamilton, minister of state for the armed forces, says the future of the brigade will be announced in March. But he is confident that Gurkhas will still have a role in the British army.

Whether Gurkhas will be deployed alongside British soldiers in West Germany or beyond Britain’s commitment to NATO has yet to be answered. The Ministry of Defense has ruled out duty in Northern Ireland, where the Irish Republican Army is attempting to end British rule.

“I don’t think anybody would like to see a group of small, little dark men running down the streets of Belfast,” a retired army colonel said.

Date Back to 1815

England’s association with the Gurkhas dates back to 1815, when British soldiers in India were weary of fighting the Nepalese tribesmen and decided to enlist them instead. They have served Crown and country ever since.

“They are a highly valued part of the British army,” an army spokesman said. “They’ve won 26 Victoria Crosses (Britain’s highest military award) in their more than 170 years of service.”

The army says Hong Kong is home to 4,300 Gurkhas, about 1,200 are based in Britain, nearly 700 are on permanent loan to the sultan of Brunei, who pays for their services, and another 1,300 are stationed in Nepal.

In an age of expensive defense systems and difficulties reaching military enlistment goals, the Defense Ministry says the Gurkhas are good value for the money. Gurkhas serve an average of 8 to 12 years, are paid less than a British soldier and require a lower standard of living, the army says.

“There is no question that not only are the Gurkhas extremely brave as individual fighting men, but they have a very great skill in types of warfare that perhaps we’re not so naturally good at,” said Michael Heseltine, a former defense secretary.

Technology Barrier

But in some circles there is concern that the technology of today’s battlefield has surpassed the Gurkhas’ abilities in guerrilla warfare.

Andrew Duncan, spokesman for the International Institute of Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank, says he believes the brigade’s strength will have to be cut.

“They’re not really up to modern mechanical warfare in central Europe,” he said. “They wouldn’t be able to think fast enough . . . , so really what (the government’s) doing is trying to see what role they could find for them if they decide to keep them on.

“I’m convinced that if you have to make a choice between a British battalion and a Gurkha battalion, the British battalion is far more useful,” Duncan said.