text: Information Collection Assets
  BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON
  5-39. The reconnaissance squadrons of the armored BCT, infantry BCT, and Stryker BCT are organized to
  accomplish reconnaissance and security missions throughout the BCT’s AO. By leveraging information
  technology with air and ground reconnaissance capabilities in complex terrain, the reconnaissance squadron
  focuses on all categories of threats in a designated AO. The BCT commander maintains battlefield mobility
  and agility while choosing the time, place, and method to confront the enemy. The squadron commander
  has various tools to conduct reconnaissance and security missions across the range of military operations.
  The squadron commander can task-organize to optimize complementary effects while maximizing support
  throughout the BCT’s AO. (See FM 3-20.96 for information on the BCT reconnaissance squadrons.)
  5-40. Army information collection assets at the brigade level ensure intelligence and information is
  available to commanders in increasingly decentralized AOs. Corps, division, and BCTs often require
  information from the same assets. The requirement for layering information collection capabilities—some
  with theater-level applications—and the logistics, processing, exploitation, and dissemination of those
  assets require management at echelons above brigade.
  5-41. Information collection capabilities rapidly evolve to meet new challenges of the current and future
  AOs and provide the flexibility required to provide information across the range of military operations. To
  act decisively, commanders and staffs identify, understand, and integrate (sometimes creatively) the
  multitude of information collection capabilities found at every echelon across the warfighting functions.
  NETWORK-ENABLED INFORMATION COLLECTION
  5-42. Joint elements network to create information sharing and collaboration. This networking provides a
  greater unity of effort, synchronization, and integration of all elements at the lowest echelons. Distributed
  Common Ground System (Army) (DCGS-A) provides a network-centric, enterprise intelligence, weather,
  geospatial engineering, and space operations capabilities to maneuver, maneuver support, and sustainment
  organizations at all echelons from battalion to JTFs. The DCGS-A integrates intelligence tasking,
  collection, processing, and dissemination across the Army and joint community. DCGS-A unites the
  different systems across the global information network. DCGS-A is the Army’s primary system for—
  * Receipt of and processing select information collection asset data.
  * Control of select Army sensor systems.
  * Fusion of sensor data and information.
  * Direction and distribution of relevant threat, terrain, weather, and civil considerations products
  and information.
  * Facilitation of friendly information and reporting.