- Combat Aviation Brigade
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A Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) is a multi-functional brigade-sized unit in the United States Army that fields military helicopters, offering a combination of attack helicopters (AH-64 Apache), reconnaissance helicopters (OH-58 Kiowa), medium-lift helicopters (UH-60 Black Hawk), heavy-lift helicopters (CH-47 Chinook), and MEDEVAC capability.
Contents
History
Combat Aviation Brigades were introduced during the transformation of the United States Army to a modular force. There were three types of Combat Aviation Brigades:
- Heavy Combat Aviation Brigades have two aviation attack battalions (24 x AH-64 Apache each), an aviation assault battalion (30 x UH-60 Black Hawk), a general aviation support battalion (8 x UH60 Command Aviation, 12 x CH-47 Chinook and 12x HH-60M) and an aviation support battalion to help with logistics.
- Full spectrum Combat Aviation Brigades (formerly Medium) have one aviation attack battalion (24 x AH-64 Apache), one reconnaissance squadron (30 x OH-58D Kiowa Warrior), an aviation assault battalion (30 x UH-60 Black Hawk), a general aviation support battalion (8 x UH60 Command Aviation)(12 x CH-47 Chinook and 12 x HH-60M) and an aviation support battalion.
- Light Combat Aviation Brigades have two Air Cavalry reconnaissance squadrons (30 x OH-58D Kiowa Warrior each), an aviation assault battalion (30 UH-60 Black Hawk), a general aviation support battalion (8 x UH60 Command Aviation)(12 x CH-47 Chinook and 12 x HH-60M) and an aviation support battalion.
Starting in 2010 the Army began to adapt all the Light Combat Aviation Brigades into Full spectrum Combat Aviation Brigades, a decision which will see all Light Combat Aviation Brigades disappear.
US Army
Divisional CABs
- 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division (Heavy CAB)
- Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Armored Division (United States) (Heavy CAB)
- Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division (United States) (Full spectrum CAB)
- Combat Aviation Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (United States) (Full spectrum CAB)
- Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division (United States) (Full spectrum CAB)
- Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (Full spectrum CAB)
- Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (United States) (Full spectrum CAB)
- Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division (United States) (Full spectrum CAB)
- 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) (Full spectrum CAB)
- 159th Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) (Full spectrum CAB)
Separate CABs
- 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, (Heavy CAB)
- 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, (Full spectrum CAB)
US Army National Guard
The Army National Guard fields eight Combat Aviation Brigades within its eight divisions. The Army National Guard brigades are different from the Army's Medium Combat Aviation brigades as they replace the reconnaissance squadrons' OH-58 Kiowa with the UH-72 Lakota organized into support and security battalions. Thus all brigades consist of one aviation attack battalion (24 x AH-64 Apache), one aviation security and support battalion (32 x UH-72 Lakota), one aviation assault battalion (38 x UH-60 Black Hawk), one general aviation support battalion (12 x CH-47 Chinook and 12 x HH-60M) and an aviation support battalion for logistic support.
Divisional CABs
- Combat Aviation Brigade, 28th Infantry Division (PA ARNG and NJ ARNG) (Heavy CAB)
- Combat Aviation Brigade, 29th Infantry Division (MD ARNG) (Heavy CAB)
- Combat Aviation Brigade, 34th Infantry Division (MN ARNG, ND ARNG and ID ARNG)
- Combat Aviation Brigade, 35th Infantry Division (MO ARNG, NE ARNG and UT ARNG)
- Combat Aviation Brigade, 36th Infantry Division (TX ARNG, CO ARNG, AL NG and KS ARNG)
- Combat Aviation Brigade, 38th Infantry Division (IN ARNG)
- Combat Aviation Brigade, 40th Infantry Division (CA ARNG)
- Combat Aviation Brigade, 42nd Infantry Division (NY NG)
See also
References
External links
Categories:- Aviation Brigades of the United States Army
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