Belgian army re-establishes 2/4 Lancers

Starting in 2028, 2/4 L will receive Jaguar armoured reconnaissance vehicles. (KNDS)

The Belgian army re-established the 2e/4e Régiment de Lanciers/2/4 Regiment Lansiers (2/4 Lancers, 2/4 L) at Leopoldsburg, eastern Belgium, on 1 September, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on its website the next day. The unit was stood up 15 years after it was deactivated in 2010 as part of the restructuring of the Belgian armed forces at the time.

The reactivation is part of the modernisation of the Belgian army and the Franco-Belgian Capacité Motorisée (CaMo) modernisation programme. The Belgian MoD placed it in the context of the return of classical combined arms operations, requiring mobile light (armoured) cavalry, with 2/4 L to combine speed, autonomy, and firepower and be capable of reconnoitring and securing large areas, dealing with armoured threats and conducting offensive operations.

Since the second quarter of 2025, preparations for the reactivation were made by a team under Lieutenant Colonel Johan Peeters, who has since become commander of 2/4 L. He said, “2/4 L will be the cavalry unit of the 1st Brigade in Leopoldsburg. Besides firepower, reconnaissance is crucial. We are not only the eyes and ears of the brigade, but also its striking power.” With new Jaguar armoured reconnaissance vehicles, a revised organisation, and updated tactical doctrine, (armoured) cavalry is once again being deployed as a fully fledged combat unit, operating independently in the attack, defence, and reconnaissance roles instead of providing fire support for dismounted infantry, as is currently the case, according to the Belgian MoD.