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414 Tank Battalion
Panzerbataillon 414
414 Tankbataljon
Panzerbataillon414 Wappen 2016
Coat of arms
Active Operational
Country Flag of the Netherlands Netherlands, Flag of Germany Germany
Branch Royal Netherlands Army, German Army
Type Tank
Size around 400
Garrison/HQ Bergen-Lohheide

414 Tank Battalion (German language: Panzerbataillon 414, Dutch language: 414 Tankbataljon ) is a mixed German and Dutch tank battalion, consisting of around 100 Dutch and 300 German soldiers.[1]

History[]

The battalion was founded in 2016,[2] and became fully operational in 2019.[3]

Previously the German battalion, part of the 41st Panzergrenadier Brigade was active from 1991–2006 at Spechtberg. It was established on the basis of the 22nd and 23rd Panzer Regiments, 9th Panzer Division, of the Land Forces of the National People's Army, the former East German Army.[4]

On 17 March 2016, the battalion was attached to the Dutch 43rd Mechanized Brigade which is in turn a part of the German 1st Panzer Division.[5]

The barracks of 414 Panzerbattalion are in Bergen-Lohheide, Lower Saxony.

It has been described as a step towards a European army.[3]

Structure[]

414 Tank Battalion consists of the following elements:[6]

  • Staff (German, few Dutch)
  • 1st staff company (staff and supply, mostly German, few Dutch)
  • 2nd tank company (German)
  • 3rd tank company (German)
  • 4th tank company (Dutch)
  • 5th tank company (German, reserve)[7]

Out of the 100 Dutch soldiers, 72 are tank crew. The other 28 are staff members, maintenance and support crew.

Armament[]

Duitse Leopard-gevechtstank en een Nederlands CV90 tijdens een gevechtsoefening ter voorbereiding op de flitsmacht

Klietz, Germany, exercise Peacock Supremacy, February 15, 2018. A German Leopard 2 tank and a Dutch CV9035NL from the Dutch 43rd Mechanized Brigade.

The battalion's main armament is the Leopard 2 A6MA2 main battle tank. The unit has 49 tanks of these upgraded MBT's. The tank is modified with a Dutch battlefield management system. This is done anticipating the fact that 414 Tank Battalion has joined the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) of the NATO Response Force in 2019.[8][9]

PzBtl 414

Insignia of previous Panzerbataillon 414

References[]

  1. Improved Leopards for German-Dutch tank battalion Dutch Ministry of Defence
  2. Fiorenza, Nicholas (18 September 2015). "Dutch mechanized brigade to be integrated into German panzer division". Jane's Defence Weekly. Archived from the original on 22 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160322031908/http://www.janes.com/article/54636/dutch-mechanized-brigade-to-be-integrated-into-german-panzer-division. Retrieved 10 November 2016. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 Bennhold, Katrin (20 February 2019). "A European Army? The Germans and Dutch Take a Small Step". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/20/world/europe/germany-defense-spending-european-army.html. Retrieved 7 May 2020. 
  4. "Panzerbataillon 414 n.A." (in German). Panzerbataillon184.de. http://www.panzerbataillon184.de/pzbtl_414_n_a_.html. Retrieved 10 November 2016. 
  5. "Geschichte" (in German). German Army official website. Bundeswehr. 25 August 2016. http://www.deutschesheer.de/portal/a/heer/!ut/p/c4/TY3BDoIwEET_aNsiJugNwsWrF8VboZuySWmbZcGE-PHCwcSZ5B3mHUa91N5oV_JWKEUb1FN1A137N4yIDI4wzjILmLw5WsEHQoe8RA_lacJh7Jn8_5pt3JB7K5ZCSLE0pXocHw5hSBHloGAU2unZSmLIiSUcZmHeDZBTnTZto8_6F_Opq-JSdFWl21tzV3ma6i85w6-N/. Retrieved 10 November 2016. 
  6. "Gliederung" (in German). German Army official website. Bundeswehr. 25 August 2016. http://www.deutschesheer.de/portal/a/heer/!ut/p/c4/TY27DoMwEAT_yMYElEcHokmZNAnpDD6Zk8zZOg4ioXx8oIiUXWmKnWL1S28lu6C3gpFs0E_d9njp3moAYOUQaJJJlEmrw0X5gOCAZ_KqOIzQDx2j_1-TpRW4s2IxhEiFKfRj_3Cg-kggOwVIcKNnK5FViixhNzPzZhQ63WamqbMy-8V8qlN-zm-lOTbX-q7TOFZfRjSS0A!!/. Retrieved 10 November 2016. 
  7. "Panzerbataillon 414 in Lohheide". March 13, 2018. http://www.deutschesheer.de/portal/a/heer/start/dienstst/1pzdiv/gliederung/43mechbrig/gliederung/panzerbataillon414/. 
  8. "Digitale revolutie op rupsbanden" (in nl-NL). https://magazines.defensie.nl/defensiekrant/2018/08/01_leopard2_08. 
  9. "Grote sprong voorwaarts" (in nl-NL). https://magazines.defensie.nl/materieelgezien/2018/03/05_leopard. 
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