Armoured Brigade (Finnish Army)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= "Panssariprikaati"
Armoured Brigade


caption=The Colour of Armoured Brigade
dates= 1942–1944 "Panssaridivisioona" (Armoured Division)
1946–1952: "Kevyt Prikaati" (Light Brigade)
1952–: "Panssariprikaati" (Armoured Brigade)
country= FIN
allegiance=
branch= Finnish Army Seal
type= Heavy armoured
role=
size= 1,700 conscripts, 600 career personnel ["Varusmiehiä kouluttavat joukko-osastot 2008". "Reserviläinen" 1/2008, p.38. ISSN 0557-8477 fi]
command_structure= Western Finland Military Province
garrison=Parola, Hattula
garrison_label=Garrison
nickname=
patron=
motto=
colors=
colors_label=
march="Parolan marssi"
mascot=
equipment=Leopard 2A4
BMP-2
equipment_label=
battles=
anniversaries=Kuuterselkä
Äyräpää
Tali-Ihantala
decorations=
battle_honours=
commander1=Colonel Keijo Suominen
commander1_label=
commander2=
commander2_label=
commander3=
commander3_label=
notable_commanders=Major General Ruben Lagus
identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_label=
identification_symbol_2=
identification_symbol_2_label=
identification_symbol_3=
identification_symbol_3_label=
identification_symbol_4=
identification_symbol_4_label=
aircraft_attack=
aircraft_bomber=
aircraft_electronic=
aircraft_fighter=
aircraft_interceptor=
aircraft_patrol=
aircraft_recon=
aircraft_trainer=
aircraft_transport=The Armoured Brigade ("Panssariprikaati") is a Finnish Army training unit located near Hämeenlinna in southern Finland. The brigade specialises in training armoured and anti-aircraft troops. In case of mobilization, the Finnish Defence Forces would field one armoured brigade. The war-time armoured brigade has a strength of around 5,700 men, and fields 63 main battle tanks, 110 infantry fighting vehicles, circa 100 armoured personnel carriers, mainly of Soviet origin, and roughly 70 other armoured vehicles. However, the remaining war-time armoured brigade is being phased out and replaced by smaller mechanized battle groups. The new mechanized battle groups will field the Leopard 2 MBTs that are not included in the organization of the contemporary war-time armored brigades.

Organisation

* Häme Armoured Battalion (HämPsP, "Hämeen Panssaripataljoona")
** Tank Company (PsvK, "Panssarivaunukomppania")
** Armoured Jäger Company (PsJK, "Panssarijääkärikomppania")
** Armoured Engineer Company (PsPionK, "Panssaripioneerikomppania")
* Helsinki Anti-Aircraft Regiment (HelItR, "Helsingin Ilmatorjuntarykmetti")
** Armoured Anti-Aircraft Battery ("Panssari-ilmatorjuntapatteri")
** 1st & 2nd Anti-Aircraft Missile Batteries ("1. & 2. Ohjusilmatorjuntapatteri")
** Command Post Battery (Johtokeskuspatteri)
** NCO School ("Aliupseerikoulu")
* Jäger Artillery Regiment (JTR, "Jääkäritykistörykmentti")
** Signals and Forward Observation Battery (V- ja TjPtri,"Viesti- ja tulenjohtopatteri")
** Self-Propelled Howitzer Battery (PsHPtri, "Panssarihaupitsipatteri")
** Mortar Company (KrhK, "Kranaatinheitinkomppania")
* Parola Battalion (ParP, "Parolan Pataljoona")
** Military Police Company ("Sotilaspoliisikomppania")
** Truck Company ("Autokomppania")
** Logistics Company ("Huoltokomppania")
* Armour School ("Panssarikoulu")
* Logistics Centre ("Huoltokeskus")
* Armour Band ("Panssarisoittokunta")

Training equipment

* Leopard 2A4
* T-72 (some ex-East German, all being withdrawn from service)
* BMP-1 (Ex-East German, being withdrawn from service)
* BMP-2 (some acquired from East-German surplus stocks)
* Marksman (Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun)
* Crotale NG - (Crotale NGs on Sisu XA-181 vehicles, designated ItO 90)
* Buk M1 (ItO 96)
* 2S1 known as "122 PsH 74" (122 Panssarihaupitsi 74)
* 2S5 known as "152 TelaK 91" (152 Telakanuuna 91)

External links

* [http://www.armouredbrigade.fi/ Armoured Brigade]
* [http://www.mil.fi/maavoimat/maavoimat/kokoonpanot/pspr_en.dsp Organisation table at official Finnish Defence Force site]

References