The 81st Mechanised Brigade (Romanian: Brigada 81 Mecanizată "General Grigore Bălan") is a mechanised brigade of the Romanian Land Forces, established on 1 March 1995.

It is named after Grigore Bălan, a brigadier general in World War II, who was killed in action during the liberation of Transylvania in 1944.

The unit was founded in Dej in September 1968, as a consequence of the decision of the Romanian leadership following the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968.

Between 1995 and 2000, the headquarters of the 81st Mechanised Brigade were located in Dej, and since December 2000 in Bistrița.

The brigade became completely operational in April 2002 and as of 2024 is NATO certified.