text: Information Collection Assets
  5-24. The military intelligence brigade performs intelligence operations, all-source intelligence analysis,
  intelligence production, intelligence collection management, and intelligence dissemination support of the
  theater army. It provides dedicated long-term, continuous support to the geographic combatant commander
  or subunified commander for that commander’s theater security cooperation plan and small-scale
  contingencies. It also provides in-theater intelligence support during major combat operations.
  5-25. The military intelligence brigade provides the theater army commander with dedicated intelligence
  capabilities for all intelligence disciplines. It has robust counterintelligence and human intelligence
  capabilities with interrogation and exploitation potential. Each military intelligence brigade has dedicated
  imagery intelligence analysts and most have imagery intelligence collection capabilities. The military
  intelligence brigade also has measurement and signature intelligence capabilities.
  BATTLEFIELD SURVEILLANCE BRIGADE
  5-26. The battlefield surveillance brigade (BFSB) conducts reconnaissance and security to collect
  information to defense support of civil authorities at echelons above brigade level. It helps develop the
  COP and it enhances commanders’ decisionmaking. Table 5-2 (page 5-6) identifies BFSB collection assets.
  The BFSB fills two roles in division-level and higher operations. It augments BCTs and supporting
  brigades to enhance their abilities to accomplish missions. It also executes their portion of the information
  collection plan—
  * In that portion of the AO not assigned to a subordinate unit.
  * In an AO assigned to it by the supported unit.
  * In an area that has characteristics of both types (assigned AO).
  5-27. Assets above division level can fulfill many intelligence requirements but may not answer all of
  them. Often, higher-level operational needs take precedence and cause assets at these levels to focus on the
  next higher echelon’s CCIRs. In some cases, higher-level assets may not provide the level of detail or
  timeliness the BFSB’s supported command requires. The BFSB bridges the gap between the tactical
  reconnaissance and security executed at brigade level and the operational and strategic reconnaissance
  executed at levels above the division.
  5-28. In its other role, the BFSB augments other brigades by providing counterintelligence, human
  intelligence, signals intelligence, and unmanned aircraft system. In some situations, augmentation includes
  elements of the reconnaissance squadron. The BFSB provides a means for the supported commander to
  weigh the decisive operation or the main effort and to provide other brigades with assets, capabilities, or the
  increased capacity required for a mission or operation. (See FM 3-55.1 for additional information on BFSB
  operations.)
  COMBAT AVIATION BRIGADE
  5-29. The combat aviation brigade accomplishes reconnaissance and surveillance with its attack
  reconnaissance battalions and (when fielded) one unmanned aircraft system company. The heavy, medium,
  light, and expeditionary combat aviation brigade have similar organization, varying only in the type and
  number of attack reconnaissance battalions. Heavy and medium combat aviation brigades have more robust
  firepower capabilities than light and expeditionary combat aviation brigades.
  5-30. The combat aviation brigade commander is the higher commander’s senior advisor for employment
  of aviation assets. The combat aviation brigade commander and staff are the primary integrators of manned
  aircraft and unmanned aircraft system operations.
  5-31. The unmanned aircraft system company of the combat aviation brigade, when fully fielded, deploys a
  one system ground control station to the BFSB and fires brigade as required for mission planning and
  execution. Based on higher echelon requirements, the BFSB and fires brigade control the unmanned
  aircraft for reconnaissance and surveillance operations. The combat aviation brigade launches the aircraft
  and turns control over to the one system ground control station operators. The one system ground control
  station locates where it can best control the aircraft and disseminates collected information.