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/reconnaissance helicopters (AH-64 Apache), medium-lift helicopters (UH-60 Black Hawk), heavy-lift helicopters (CH-47 Chinook), and MEDEVAC capability.
Combat Aviation Brigades (CABs) 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
(2) Attack Reconnaissance Battalions or ARB (each with 24 × Boeing AH-64 Apache)
Assault Helicopter Battalion or AHB (30 × Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk)
General Support Aviation Battalion or GSAB (8 × UH-60 Command Aviation, 12 × Boeing CH-47 Chinook and 12 × Sikorsky HH-60M Black Hawk)
Aviation Support Battalion or ASB
Medium combat aviation brigades
Attack reconnaissance battalion (24 × AH-64 Apache)
Attack Reconnaissance Squadron or ARS (30 × Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior)
Assault helicopter battalion (30 × UH-60 Black Hawk)
General support aviation battalion (8 × UH-60 Command Aviation, 12 × CH-47 Chinook and 12 × HH-60M)
Aviation support battalion
Light combat aviation brigades
(2) Attack reconnaissance squadrons (each with 30 × OH-58D Kiowa Warrior)
Assault helicopter battalion (30 × UH-60 Black Hawk)
General support aviation battalion (8 × UH-60 Command Aviation, 12 × CH-47 Chinook and 12 × HH-60M)
Aviation support battalion
Starting in 2010, the Army began to replace the three types of CABs with multipurpose brigades, called "Full spectrum CABs". However, for specific reasons some Heavy CABs will remain. The ultimate goal is eight full spectrum CABs and four heavy CABs in active service, and respectively six and two CABs in the Army National Guard. Four brigades must be deployment-ready on a permanent basis. Since then all light CABs have been adapted into full spectrum CABs and will soon disappear. The Army stated that they need the CAB to be modular designed to enable task organization and optimize aviation capability for specific mission of specified duration. Full spectrum CAB will standardize the CAB design across the branch to deliver maximum aviation capability in the most timely and flexible manner. The Army also said that the new CAB design is doctrinally sound which delivers the combat, combat support, and combat service support to "enable steady state" operations required in an era of persistent conflict, and this new CAB will be constructed to deliver combat power while maximizing efficiencies in training, maintenance and support across the Army.
Full spectrum combat aviation brigades design includes:
Headquarters and Headquarters Company
Attack Reconnaissance Squadron or ARS (three troops with 7 AH-64 Apache each, and a UAS company with two platoons with 4 AAI RQ-7B Shadow UAV each)
Attack Reconnaissance Battalion or ARB (three companies with 8 AH-64 Apache each)
Assault Helicopter Battalion or AHB (three companies with 10 UH-60 Black Hawk each, and a pathfinder company)
General Support Aviation Battalion or GSAB (a Command Aviation Company or CAC with 4 UH-60 Black Hawk and 4 EH-60 equipped with AN/ASC-38 Army Airborne Command and Control System [A2C2S], a Heavy Helicopter Company or HvyHC with three platoons with 4 CH-47 Chinook each, an Air Ambulance Medical Company or AAMC with five platoons with 3 HH-60M each equipped with MEDEVAC mission equipment, and an Air Traffic Services or ATS company)
UAS company (three platoons with 4 General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAV each)
Aviation Support Battalion or ASB
Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division (Heavy CAB)
Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Armored Division (Heavy CAB)
Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division (Full spectrum CAB)
Combat Aviation Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Full spectrum CAB)
Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division (Full spectrum CAB)
Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division (Heavy CAB)
Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (Full spectrum CAB)
Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Full spectrum CAB)
Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division (Full spectrum CAB)
Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) (Full spectrum CAB)
12th Combat Aviation Brigade (Heavy CAB)
16th Combat Aviation Brigade (Full spectrum CAB)
159th Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division
The Army National Guard (ARNG) fields eight combat aviation brigades within its eight divisions as well as one theater aviation command which oversees two additional aviation brigades. The Army Reserve fields one theater aviation command which oversees two brigades (one USAR and one ARNG). The Army National Guard brigade is different from the Army's full spectrum combat aviation brigade as it replaces the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior of attack reconnaissance squadron with the Eurocopter UH-72 Lakota and organized into Support and Security Battalion or S&S BN. Thus all ARNG aviation brigades consist of attack reconnaissance battalion (24 AH-64 Apache), security and support battalion (three companies with 8 UH-72 Lakota each), assault helicopter battalion (30 UH-60 Black Hawk), general support aviation battalion (8 UH-60, 12 CH-47 Chinook and 15 HH-60M), UAV company (12 MQ-1C Gray Eagle), and aviation support battalion.
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 ARNG 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)
63rd Aviation Brigade (KY ARNG) (one GSAB, one theater aviation battalion)
77th Aviation Brigade (AR ARNG) (three AHBs, one GSAB)
185th Aviation Brigade (MS ARNG) (two GSABs)
244th Aviation Brigade (Army Reserve) (two GSABs, one HH company, one MEDEVAC company, one theater aviation battalion)
449th Aviation Brigade (NC ARNG) (Light CAB)
