German First Armoured Division
The Royal Netherlands 43 Mechanised Brigade (about 3,000 military personnel) in Havelte will be reinforced with a German tank battalion and will itself become part of the German First Armoured Division. The integrated unit will be operational by the end of 2019.
Sharing knowledge, materiel, etc., increases the combat power and deployment options for both countries. For the Netherlands, the benefits of the collaboration are particularly apparent, as it has brought a battle tank back to the ranks, making deployment with Leopard 2A6 battle tanks possible once again.
One company of the German armoured division, comprising about 100 military personnel, will be manned by Dutch personnel. Bergen-Hohne in Germany will be their new home base. The rest of the 43 Mechanised Brigade will stay in Havelte in the Netherlands.