Finnish Armored Force Organization 1919-1944

Assault Tank Regiment
Formed: July 1919

Armoured Regiment (Panssariprikaati, Ps.Pr.)
Formed: February 1942 (armored battalion plus a newly formed anotherbattalion) with other units formed an armored division later in the Continuation War.
- HQ troop
- 1:st Armoured Battalion
     T26, T26E
- 2:nd Armoured Battalion
     T26, T26E, heavy company with KV1, T28, T34
- Armoured AA battery
      Landsverk Anti II
- Armoured maintain Company
- Assault Gun Battalion (formed in February 1943)
      BT42 - from late 1943 changed to StuGIII
- Armoured School Battalion (formed in April 1943)
      old types, few T26
- Independent (separate) Armoured company (formed in December 1943,
disbanded in July 1944)
      BT42
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Finnish Armored forces today

Finland operates two Armored Brigades (one reserve, one active).
After the war, the following vehicles were used (main models):
- British delivered Comet and Charioteer tanks (late 50's, early 60's Used until late 60's and early 70's when soviet T54s appeared).
- Soviet T54 MBT from 1960-61 to 90's. First vehicles scrapped in 70's.
- Soviet T55 MBT from 1965 and 1967 until today. Today used as infantry
support tanks. Modernized in 1989-93 with western equipment to become T55M.
- ZSU-57-2 AA-tanks from 1960 until today. Some still remain operational
heavily modified, most disbanded.
- In early and mid-60's Soviet AT-S and ATS-59 gun tractors. Now cut (some still operational).
- Soviet PT76 light tanks from early 60's to early 90's.
- Soviet BTR50 armored personnel carriers from 60's to 80's/90's, a few
still used as special purpose vehicles (command or communications posts)
- Soviet BTR60 armored personnel carriers from 70's to 90's, some still operational.
- Soviet BMP1 Infantry fighting vehicles from early 80's.
- DDR BMP1 Infantry fighting vehicles from early 90's.
- Soviet MT-LB armored tracked vehicles and personnel carriers from early 80's.
- Soviet T72M1 MBT from 1984-88.
- DDR T72M1 MBT from 1992-94.
- Soviet BMP2 IFV:s from 1988-92.
- Finnish SISU XA180 and XA185 armored personnel carriers delivered from the mid 80's until late 90's. Many sold abroad.
- T55/Marksman AA-tank from 1990-92.
- XA180 and XA185 Crotale NG 2*4 AA-missile vehicles from 80's and 90's.
- Soviet BUK M1-AA-missile systems from 1996-97.
- Soviet 2S5 SP-guns from 1994.
- DDR 2S1 SP-gun from early 90's.
- various Finnish and Swedish tracked vehicles purchased in 80's and 90's in quantity

Armored troops don't play main role in Finnish Army, so tank equipment is
not very modern. T55's will be scrapped between 2000 and 2015, in 2010-15
new MBT's may be purchased. Infantry weapons and equipment are modern like
naval vessels (small Finnish built missile crafts and mine warfare vessels)
and air forces (F/A-18C fighter/assault aircraft and new combat helicopter
will be ordered within few years alongside another Scandinavian countries).