The transition to the new Army model is becoming a reality.

The transition to the new Army model, initiated in 2015, is a realistic and flexible process that allows maintaining existing capabilities while facilitating the transformation into a more balanced, more sustainable and more efficient Army. This transition is one of the pillars of change in the transformation of the Army and, in particular, of all the specialised Brigades that were in existence before 2016 and multiskilled Brigades.
Among the actions planned for 2017, detailed in the chapter on material resources, is the continuation of acquisitions of material and planned shipments across Spain in order to equip the Brigades with the necessary equipment for the fulfillment of the new assigned missions. The redistribution of ACA parts has already been completed, and newly purchased wheel vehicles are being distributed.
In addition, the new Pizarro Phase II vehicles that are already being received in Brigades X and XI, units that have made an outstanding effort to train the crews and specialists on the new vehicle. This has allowed the Pizarro Phase I to be replaced in both units, and can now be expanded to others, as is the case of the Cavalry Regiments of the General Command of Ceuta and Melilla and the Brigade "Aragon" I, specifically their Battalion Of Machined Infantry, the "Badajoz" I / 62, based in San Clemente de Sasebas (Gerona).
For this battalion, which formerly included mountain hunters, receiving the first Pizarro vehicles, scheduled for the coming weeks, will be another milestone in its transformation that began two years ago with the intense preparation of its personnel, who have carried out the training activities required for the qualification of crews and the tactical use and maintenance of new materials.
The majority of the mechanised means of the TOA family were already received by the batallión in 2016 and, together with Pizaroos, they will provide new capabilities, and will contribute to the range of skills of the Aragón Brigade. The transformination will be finished at the end of this years, with the final change being in the Pizarro vehicles and will mean the battalion can reach full operational capacity.
It has also been necessary to adapt some of the infrastructures (petrol stations, washing sites and repair shops) although the majority did not need modifying, since 2002, batallion combat tanks were in the military camp.

Phase II Pizarro at "San Gregorio" National Training Centre (Photo:Ángel Tejedor/DECET)