Armoured Brigade (Finnish Army)

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The Colour of Armoured Brigade

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 two armoured brigades, numbered the 1st and 2nd. A war-time armoured brigade has a strength of around 5,700 men, and fields around 65 main battle tanks, 100 infantry fighting vehicles, 100 armoured personnel carriers, mainly of Soviet origin, and roughly 70 other vehicles. However, the war-time armoured brigades are being phased out and replaced by smaller 'mechanized combat groups' (mekanisoitu taisteluosasto). The new mechanized combat groups will field the Leopard 2 MBTs that are not included in the organization of the contemporary war-time armored brigades.