The Royal Malta Artillery
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The Royal Malta Artillery was set up on 15 March 1889, with the specific aim of manning the guns around the Grand Harbour, which apart from being the point of connection with the rest of the world, was also important as a base for the Royal Navy.
In time, more roles were created to cater for the great advances in the science of warfare, especially during WW1, so that by the beginning of WW2 the R.M.A consisted of the following:
The 1st Coast Regiment, The 2nd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment The 11th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment (with 1 battery equipped with Bofors Light AA guns ) And a Joint RA/RMA 4th Searchlight Regiment
There was also the Dockyard Defence Battery, composed of workers at the Admiralty Dockyard who alternated between manning their guns and working at their trade.
3rd LAA Regiment, RMA was disbanded at the end of the war, only to be reformed in September 1951 as a Territorial Regiment, along with the 11th HAA Regiment. When the British Army switched to guided missiles for defence against high-flying aircraft, 11th HAA was turned into a LAA regiment, and some time later it was amalgamated with 3rd LAA, to form the 3/11th Light Air Defence Regiment, RMA (T) as part of the post-Independence Malta Land Force. 1st Regiment RMA served in the British Army of the Rhine from 1962 to early 1970.
In August 1970, the Armed Forces of Malta came into being with some 500 officers and men plus equipment transitioning from the British Army to the Maltese Government's responsibility.
The established Malta Land Force (MLF) saw the merger of HQ Royal Malta Artillery (RMA) with HQ Malta Land Force (MLF) on October 1st, having received its regular compliment along with 1st Regiment RMA and the RMA Band. On this same day, a farewell was also made, on disbandment, to the 3/11th AD Regt. RMA (T) and to the 1st Battalion The King's Own Malta Regt. which comprised the two remaining units of the Territorial part of the MLF.
A few years later the RMA was disbanded, with effect from the 31st March 1972.
The Maltese military successfully transitioned from an artillery regiment within the British Army, to a small defence force under the Government of Malta.