With its transfer to Lille, the corps took control of a force of 50,000 personnel including reservists, with 380 AMX-30, 1,300 armoured vehicles, 106 artillery pieces, and 56 Roland anti-aircraft missiles.

At the end of the 1980s, the Corps comprised three major formations, the 2nd and 10th Armoured Divisions and the 8th DI.

On 1 July 1993 three specialist brigades, engineer, artillery, and signals, were created at Lille.

In February 1996 the President of the Republic decided on a transition to a professional service force, and as part of the resulting changes, ten regiments were dissolved in 1997.

On 5 March 1998, in view of the ongoing structural adoptions of the French Army, the Minister of Defence decided to disband 3rd Corps, and the dissolution became effective 1 July 1998.