Artillery Battalion (Belgium)

The Artillery Battalion (Dutch: Bataljon Artillerie) is the only artillery battalion in the Motorized Brigade of the Belgian Armed Forces.

Artillery Battalion
Active	2010 – present
Country	Belgium
Branch	Belgian Armed Forces
Type	Artillery
Size	450 soldiers (as of 2019)
Part of	Motorized Brigade.
Garrison/HQ	Brasschaat, Belgium
Motto(s)	Regis ultima ratio ("The King's last argument")
Mascot(s)	Goat -Modest XI
Equipment	120 RT Mortar, LG1 Mark II Howitzer

It was created in 2010 by merging all artillery units that remained in the Belgian military. It upholds the traditions of the disbanded 2nd Field Artillery Regiment. The battalion is based in Brasschaat and consists of a Mortar battery, operating 120mm mortars and a howitzer battery, operating 14 LG1 105 mm (4.1 in) howitzers. A third battery, which operated Mistral surface-to-air missiles and based in Lombardsijde, was disbanded without replacement on 31 December 2017.

On 23 December 2018 it came under command and provides fire support to the Motorized Brigade. The battalion supports the other motorized brigade units with observations (employing forward air controllers) and artillery fire. In total, it consists of more than 450 soldiers. 10% of the battalion soldiers are also trained Paracommando and can be employed to support the 2nd Commando and 3rd Paratrooper battalions of Special Operations Regiment. In the near future a battery of long range 155mm artillery is to be created. It was also announced in 2020 that a battery of air-defense artillery was to be reactivated before 2030.[1]

105 mm (4.1 in) howitzers of the Artillery Battalion