Types of Brigade Combat Teams
- In the late 1990s, the U.S. Army began restructuring its traditional basic deployment units from large division-size units into smaller brigade combat teams, or BCTs. The brigade combat team is a fast- deployment force of about 3,500 soldiers and includes attached support units, such as artillery, previously provided at the division level. The three types of BCTs are Stryker, Heavy and Infantry. Usually commanded by a colonel, and capable of full deployment within 96 hours, these self-contained fighting units are capable of conducting operations without support from their parent divisions for extended periods.
- Filling the gap between the highly mobile light infantry BCTs and armored Heavy BCTs, Stryker brigade combat teams are fast-moving combined arms units, capable of supplying significant firepower.
The Army fielded the first Stryker brigade combat team, or SBCT, in the early 2000s. The SBCT was designed as a technology enhanced, lethal, fast deployment force built around the Stryker, a versatile armored vehicle. The eight-wheeled Stryker is lighter, faster and better armed than the heavy tracked personnel carriers of the past, and can be adapted to perform functions such as fire support, anti-tank operations, reconnaissance, infantry transport, mortar carrier and medical transport. The typical SBCT consists of three Stryker-mounted infantry battalions, supported by artillery, reconassaince, medical, supply, intelligence, engineering and headquarters units. - Infantry brigade combat teams, or IBCTs, are highly mobile light infantry and attached support units organized around specific unit capabilities. They are the fastest moving and most lightly armed of the three types of brigade combat teams. There are three types of IBCT: light infantry, air assault and airborne. Most light infantry IBCTs use motorized transport such as Humvees to enhance the speed of their maneuvers.
A typical infantry brigade combat team is built around two infantry battalions supported by the same type support units as the Stryker teams, but with an additional special troops battalion that provides military police and other security and intelligence support. - The heavy brigade combat team is also known as armored infantry. Consisting of two combined arms battalions and supporting units, heavy brigade combat teams comprise the army's primary armored force. The combined arms battalions consist of M1A1 Abrams tank units and mechanized infantry using the armored, tracked M2 and M3 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles. Heavy brigade combat teams also utilize self-propelled guns and field artillery, as well as support units similar to other BCTs. Additional support units include mechanized engineering, forward reconnaissance, maintenance, forward support and logistics units.