Statement of the Armoured Brigade Commander
Welcome to the Web site of the training centre for the highest-firepower weapon systems of the army.
The Armoured Brigade, based about 10 kilometres from Hämeenlinna, in Parolannummi, is one of the most diversified and technical contingents in the army. The Armoured Brigade offers training with all fighting arms and in almost all branches of training available in the army. We train conscripts for more than a hundred different tasks
Almost 600 people are part of the brigade’s daily work, two thirds of whom have received military training and one third civilian training. At its most, the number of conscripts is nearly 1,700, of which 10–20 are women. Around 1,000 reservists are trained each year at the brigade’s facilities. Conscripts come from the regions of Häme, Pirkanmaa, and Päijät-Häme, but people willing to serve here are welcome from elsewhere as well.
The main training equipment of the brigade consists of the Leopard 2 A4 main battle tank, the BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle, the Crotale 90 air defence missile, the ItPsv 90 Marksman anti-aircraft tank, the 122 PsH 74 self-propelled howitzer, the BMP-1 TJ fire control vehicle, and the formation’s signal system – the YVI-2. Training is not offered anywhere else in the Defence Forces for most of the above-mentioned equipment. The strength of training at the brigade and the guarantee of its success is its practice and high-level expertise in the use of various fighting arms in combination.
The Armoured Brigade is one of the largest employers in the Hattula–Hämeenlinna area. As an employer, the brigade invests in developing the expertise of its personnel and well-being at work.
The Armoured Brigade preserves the traditions of the Armoured Division, founded during the war (on 28 June 1942). Therefore, the Armoured Brigade celebrates its anniversary on 28 June, remembering the day on which the division was established.
Commander of the Armoured Brigade and the Garrison
Colonel Keijo Suominen