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.

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.

There is an artillery battalion with two batteries of 105mm howitzers.

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.

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