Infantry Brigade Combat Team

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Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (IBCT) are combat units, under the Restructuring of the United States Army, have the greatest strategic mobility of the three types of BCT, but the least tactical mobility, firepower, and protection. They easily can be carried by C-130 Hercules, which the Heavy Brigade Combat Teams cannot and the Stryker Brigade Combat Team can with limitations.

Command and control

The unit is commanded by a colonel.

All vehicles are fully digitized and part of the Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below network providing a common operational picture. Individual soldiers, however, typically have only a short-range radio.

Combat arms units

Standard maneuver forces are two infantry battalions and one Scout/Cavalry/Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition Squadron. Depending on the unit, the combat battalions are qualified as paratroops, in helicopter air assault, or in light infantry operations in difficult terrain.

Direct support weapons include, at the battalion level, 120mm and 81mm mortars, either towed or vehicle-packed, and 60mm mortars at company level. Each battalion's weapons company includes four platoons of four HMMWV-family third-generation M1152 ECV armament carriers. Each vehicle has a multipurpose mount that can accept a .50 caliber M2 (machine gun), 40mm MK19 grenade launcher, or BGM-71 TOW antitank-antifortification missile. There is an artillery battalion with two batteries of 105mm howitzers and an AN/TPQ-36 (V)8 artillery locating radar. [1]

The fire support platoons in each maneuver company connect to the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS). The scout unit has extensive target acquisition capability for the indirect fire weapons.

Brigade Special Troops Battalion

Controlling a variety of combat support functions, the Special Troops Battalion includes:

References

  1. Brigade Combat Teams, Infantry Center, U.S. Army, August 2009