In November 2020, the Dutch
Ministry of Defence announced the formation of a new armoured unit as part of a reorganisation of the army. This was an effort to restore a regimental structure to the three armoured regiments that had been placed in suspended animation following the disbanding of the army's force of main battle tanks between 2007 and 2012. In 2016, this capability was restored with the foundation of
414 Tank Battalion, a joint unit manned by both Dutch and German troops, with one of its three tank companies a Dutch unit. Upon its initial formation, this company was attached to the army's single remaining active armoured unit, the
Regiment Huzaren Van Boreel, which operated primarily as a reconnaissance and
ISTAR unit. As part of the army's reorganisation, the multiple operational roles undertaken by the van Boreel regiment were split - the ISTAR element was transferred to the newly established
Intelligence & Security Corps (
Korps Inlichtingen & Veiligheid "Prinses Alexia"), while the tank element was moved to a new armoured regiment formed through the amalgamation of the old Prins Alexander, van Sytzama and Prins van Oranje regiments. The purpose of forming a new regiment for the armoured element of the army was then to allow it to be used as the parent regiment for any potential future heavy armoured units, clearly delineating between the main battle tank and lighter, reconnaissance capability provided by the van Boreel regiment. On 20 November 2020,
King Willem-Alexander announced that the new armoured regiment would be named for his eldest daughter,
Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange. The regiment will carry the standard of the Regiment Huzaren van Sytzama until it receives its own standard. ==Units==