# Danish International Brigade

The Danish International Brigade (Danish: Den Danske Internationale Brigade), short DIB (also sometimes known as the Danish Reaction Brigade) was a Danish military brigade.
The political decision to form this brigade was conceived in the Danish Defence agreement 1992–1995. The formal decision to form the Brigade was made by the Folketing on 25 November 1993 and this date is often regarded as the birth of the Brigade. The Brigade was then formed, with staff and all subunits from the dispand 2.Zealand Brigade (2.SBDE) on 1 July 1994.
The background for its existence was changes in NATO's structure, in the European security situation and as a direct response to Denmark's involvement in UNPROFOR.
The purpose and design of the Brigade was to, in part or as a whole, to rapidly deploy in peacemaking, peacekeeping, humanity or similar missions under NATO, UN, OSCE or national supervision. In its lifespan the Brigade was never deployed as a whole but all subordinated units was deployed more than once.
On 1 January 1996 the Brigade was also assigned to the NATO Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps and fell under the organisational control of 1 (UK) Armoured Division when required. The DIB headquarters was located at Vordingborg barracks and made regularly exercises with 1 (UK) Armoured Division.
The DIB consisted of 4,800 personal, including a combat group of around 2,500 personnel in three battalions; a battalion equipped with Leopard 2A5 DK main battle tanks and an artillery unit with 18 self-propelled 155mm M-109 A3 howitzer, as well as logistics.
In all the Brigade had 51 Leopard 2A5 DK (Original 50 Leopard 1A5), 180 M113 (M113A1 with Add-On-Armour, M113A2 DK I (PNMK M/92) and M113 G3 DK) and 22 Mowag Piranha armored personnel carrier in various configurations and another ca. 1200 vehicles.
80% of the brigade consisted of volunteers who agreed to participate in up to two possible six-month international deployments during their four-year reserve commitment (originally this was only three years).
In the Danish Defence agreement 2005–2009, the brigade was to be dissolved and the Brigade thereby official ceased to exist on February 15, 2005. The Brigade-Staff was merged with the Staff of 1.Zealand Brigade (1.SBDE) (also terminated), to form the Staff in the newly erected 2. Brigade.

## Commanders

* 1994-1996, Brigadier General Finn Særmark-Thomasen
* 1997-2000, Brigadier General Jørgen Hansen-Nord
* 2000–2003, Brigadier General Jens Erik Frandsen
* 2003–2005, Brigadier General Agner Rokos

## Origination

1994–2001
* Staff / DIB
* 5 HQ Company (Danish Life Regiment)
* I/DLR Armoured Infantry battalion (Danish Life Regiment)
* I/SJLR Armoured Infantry battalion (Zealand Life Regiment)
* II/SJLR Armoured battalion (Zealand Life Regiment)
* 5th Recon company (Guard Hussar Regiment)
* Air defence battery (King's Artillery Regiment)
* 5th Artillery battalion (King's Artillery Regiment)
* 5th Armoured Engineer company (Engineer Regiment)
* 4th Logistic battalion (Logistic Regiment)
* 9th Logistic battalion (Logistic Regiment)
* 5th Military police Detachment (Logistic Regiment)
2000–2005
* Staff / DIB
* 5 HQ Company (Danish International Logistical Center)
* II/GHR Armoured Infantry battalion (Guard Hussar Regiment)
* IV/PLR Armoured Infantry battalion (Prince's Life Regiment)
* III/JDR Armoured battalion (Jutland Dragoon Regiment)
* 5th Recon company (Jutland Dragoon Regiment)
* Air defence battery (Queen's Artillery Regiment)
* 5th Artillery battalion (King's Artillery Regiment)
* 5th Armoured Engineer company (Engineer Regiment)
* 4th Logistic battalion (Danish International Logistical Center)
* 9th Logistic battalion (Danish International Logistical Center)
* 5th Military police Detachment (Logistic Regiment)

## Equipment from 1994–2005

As a MechInfantry Brigade, Danish International Brigade contained
| Name | Origin | Type | Quantity | Notes |
| Armour ||||||
| Leopard 1A5DK1 | Germany | Main Battle Tank | 50 (51) | 30 (31) in the armoured battalion 10 in the first mechinfantry battalion 10 in the second mechinfantry battalion |
| Pansret Mandskabsvogn - PMV (M113) | United States | Armored Personnel Carrier | 155 | APCs and variants incl: 20 Command-vehicles 5 in the HQ COY/Brigade 4 in the armoured battalion 5 in the first mechinfantry battalion 5 in the second mechinfantry battalion 1 in the Artillery battalion (CO battalion) 13 Maintain(fitter)-vehicles (3 (incl crane) Battalion level, 10 Company level) 5 in the armoured battalion (1+4) 4 in the first mechinfantry battalion (1+3) 4 in the second mechinfantry battalion (1+3) 45 Infantry-vehicles 9 in the armoured battalion 18 in the first mechinfantry battalion 18 in the second mechinfantry battalion 10 Mortar-vehicles 16 25mm machinegun-vehicles 16 Medic-vehicles 20 TOW-vehicles 10 Artillery observer-vehicles 6 Artillery fire control-vehicles 9 Engineerins-vehicles |
| Pansret Mandskabsvogn - PMV (Piranha III-H) | Switzerland | Armored Personnel Carrier | 22 | APCs and variants incl: 2 Command-vehicles 2 Maintain(fitter)-vehicles 18 Armored Personnel Carrier |
| Recovery vehicles ||||||
| Leopard 1 Berger | Germany | Armoured Recovery Vehicle | 3 | 1 in the armoured battalion 1 in the first mechinfantry battalion 1 in the second mechinfantry battalion |
| 8x8 IVECO EUROTRAKKER | Italy | Recovery Vehicle | 6 | 6 in the logistik battalion |
| M578 Light Recovery Vehicle | United States | Armoured Recovery Vehicle | 5 | 1 in the armoured battalion 1 in the first mechinfantry battalion 1 in the second mechinfantry battalion 1 in the Artillery battalion 1 in the Logistik battalion |
| Pansret Broslagningsvogn Leopard 1 Biber | Germany | Armoured Vehicle-launched Bridge | 2 | 2 in the armoured engineer company |
| Support ||||||
| Selvkørende Haubits - SKH (M109 A2DK) | United States | Self-propelled artillery | 18 | Brigade Level |
| TOW anti-tank system | United States | Anti-tank missile | 28 | 20 systems on M113 8 systems on wheeled-vehicles |
| Stinger Anti-aircraft launch system | United States | surface-to-air missile | 12 | |
| 60mm Light-mortar | United States | Mortar | 21 | Platoon level |
| 81mm Medium-mortar | United States Canada | Mortar | 16 | 10 in M113(Armoured/Selfpropelled) Company level |
| 120mm Heavy-mortar | United States | Mortar | 12 | all towed Battalion level |
| Vehicles (Combat groups) ||||||
| GD240 | Germany | SUV | 30 | Reconnaissance-Groups |
| Unimog | Germany | tactical trucks | 12 | Stinger-Groups |
| HMMWV | United States | Light Armored Car | 8 | (TOW-Groups) |
* Trucks and Vehicles (numbers unknown)
** MAN trucks in different size and types (Staff, Logistik, Signals, Heavy transport, etc.)
** GD240/290 in different types (CO's, XO's, Artillery Observer, Maintain, Liassion, Signals, MP's etc.)
** MAGIRUS trucks in different size and types (Command post, Supply, Signals, Artillery, etc.)
** VW Transporter in different types (Liassion, Supply, Maintain, etc.)
** BMV motorcykel (Ordonace and MP's)