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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/reconnaissance helicopters (Boeing AH-64 Apache), medium-lift helicopters (Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk), heavy-lift helicopters (Boeing 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
Medium combat aviation brigades
Light combat aviation brigades
Starting in 2010, the Army began to replace the medium and light CABs with multipurpose brigades, called "full spectrum CABs". 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.
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. [2] [3]
Full spectrum combat aviation brigades design includes:
With the retirement of the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters in 2017 the army concentrated all AH-64E Apache attack helicopters in the active CABs, which now are all Heavy. As of 2018 each CAB fields:
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 (S&S BN). Thus all ARNG aviation brigades consist of attack reconnaissance battalion (24 AH-64 Apache), security and support battalion (24 UH-72 Lakota), 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.
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