Panserbataljonen (The Armoured Battalion) is a unit of the Norwegian Army. Although it is categorised as an armoured unit, the battalion (strictly a battlegroup) primarily serves in the mechanised infantry role. As with the Telemark Bataljon it also has a tank squadron equipped with Leopard 2. It was formed in 1987 and has participated in several international operations in the Balkans (KFOR) and in Afghanistan (ISAF). The battalion is a recognised as a cavalry unit, and so the soldiers are referred to as dragoons as opposed to privates, as is the case in most of the Norwegian Army.