A light armored division with affordable Leopard 1 tanks, mechanized infantry, and IFVs. This Belgian battlegroup can strike early and often, but might struggle against heavier opponents.
The 16e Pantserdivisie, or 16th Armored Division, was one of the two original formations of the Belgian Army's I (BE) Corps, forward deployed in NORTHAG from 1951. While Belgium never wavered in its commitment to NATO, for most of the Cold War, its underfunded bilingual armed forces were regarded as one of the least powerful in the alliance. By the end of the 1980s, however, serious efforts were made to modernize and introduce new weaponry in the Belgian Armed Forces.
Close to a mechanized infantry formation, the 16e Pantserdivisie is reinforced with well-trained reconnaissance troops. It also includes Luxembourg's diminutive contribution to NATO: a light infantry battalion equipped with American-made materiel. One of the most recent Belgian acquisitions is the AIFV armored vehicle family, transporting Mech. Fusiliers infantry. Armor support takes the form of Leopard 1 (BE), including the rare Leopard 1A5 (BE). The division's recon forces are prolific users of the CVR(T) family of vehicles, from Spartan to Scimitar light tanks, backed by ESR special forces available as 6-man recon or 2-man sniper teams. A handful of A.109HA helicopters have been pressed into active service, which, together with the Gepard 2B SPAAGs, Épervier UAVs, Mistral AA MANPADS, and the Belgian Air Force's F-16A with HE and Cluster payloads, constitute some of the most advanced equipment of the Belgian Army.
