The 7th Mechanized Brigade ("Dukelská") is an Mechanized

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...

of the

Czech Army The Czech Armed Forces (), also known as the Czech Army, are the military responsible for the defence of the Czech Republic as the main part of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic (). The Czech Armed Forces led by the General Staff consis ...

based in Hranice. It is the

main heavy ground fighting unit for defence of Czech Republic and for EU and NATO alliance forces. It operates

T-72M4CZ The T-72M4 CZ is an upgraded Czech Republic, Czech version of the Soviet-designed, Czechoslovakia made main battle tank T-72, T-72M. The only user of this tank is the Military of the Czech Republic, Czech Army. Between 2003 and 2006, 30 tanks were ...

and Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks and BVP-2 infantry fighting vehicles. For fire support it uses SPM-85 PRAM-S and M1982 PRAM-L 120mm mortars.

History

Activated on 1 October 1994 as a direct successor of 3rd Mechanized Division in

Kroměříž Kroměříž (; ) is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 28,000 inhabitants. It is known for Kroměříž Castle with its castle gardens, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The historic town centre with the castle ...

during transformation of Czech Army from system of divisions to brigade sized units. It traces its roots to the 3rd Czechoslovak Independent Brigade in USSR during

WWII World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

that was transformed into the 3rd Infantry Division in Kroměříž. At the time of creation, it was

combined arms Combined arms is an approach to warfare that seeks to integrate different combat arms of a military to achieve mutually complementary effects—for example, using infantry and armoured warfare, armour in an Urban warfare, urban environment in ...

unit with 2 mechanized infantry battalions (71st and 73rd) that used BVP-1 IFV and T-54 tanks, 2 training centers (72nd and 74th), 7th reconnaissance battalion, 7th anti-tank battalion, and units of air defense, artillery, signal, medical, CBRN and support forces. In 1997 the 72nd training center was moved to 6th Mechanized Brigade and its 61st mechanized and 6th engineer battalions were put under command of the 7th Brigade as a 72nd mechanized and 7th engineer battalions. In the same year the 74th training center was transformed into 74th mechanized battalion. Anti-tank battalion was disbanded in 1999 and during the year 2003 most of the support units were disbanded as the brigade was transformed to pure mechanized infantry unit and the combat support forces were transferred under its own specialized brigades and the HQ of the 7th brigade was moved to barracks in Hranice. At the end of the 2003 the brigade was composed of HQ, 71st and 72nd mechanized infantry battalions, 73rd Combined Mechanized Battalion and 7th Logistic Battalion, that was disbanded a year later. The 73rd battalion was transformed to armored battalion on 1 January 2005. In 2008 new subordinate unit was formed from disbanded 155th rescue battalion of the 15th Rescue Engineer Brigade, the 74th light motorized infantry battalion in Bučovice that was equipped with Iveco LMV vehicles. In 2020 it was transformed into 74th Mechanized Infantry Battalion and equipped with reactivated BVP-2s from deep storage. By the Spring of 2025, the 7th Mechanized Brigade retired the T-72M1 tank from use and all serviceable T-72M1 tanks were donated to Ukraine due to

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

(last tanks left Czechia in Spring 2025).

Structure

The 7th Mechanized Brigade consist of the following elements in 2023. Each battalion have one company of active reserves in its structure. *Headquarters (Hranice) *71st Mechanized Battalion "Sibiřský" (Hranice) (BVP-2) *72nd Mechanized Battalion "Generálmajora Josefa Buršíka" ( Přáslavice) (BVP-2) *73rd Armored Battalion "Hanácký" (Přáslavice) (T-72M4CZ, Leopard 2A4) *74th Mechanized Battalion "Plukovníka Bohuslava Malečka" (Bučovice) (BVP-2)

References

{{Reflist Military of the Czech Republic Military units and formations of the Czech Republic Group sized units of armies (land forces)