text: Chapter 8
  ORGANIZING FORCES
  8-5. The division is the lowest echelon capable of resourcing an air assault, a combat battalion or task
  force is the lowest echelon with a staff to properly plan an air assault, and the company is the lowest
  echelon with a headquarters to execute an air assault. Once the commander determines the principal
  components ofthe groundtactical plan andthe maneuverandfiresupport schemes,the AATF organizesto
  executeitsassigned mission.(RefertoFM 3-94formoreinformation.)
  8-6. BCTs, combat battalions or task forces, and aviation elements from a combat aviation brigade are
  ideally suited to form powerful and flexible AATFs that can project combat power throughout an area of
  operationwithlittle regard for terrainbarriers.The uniqueversatilityand strengthof an AATFisachieved
  bycombiningthe speed,agility, andfirepowerofrotary-wingaircraft withthose of the maneuver forces in
  theBCTs.
  BRIGADE COMBAT TEAMS
  8-7. All BCTs, whether Infantry, Stryker, or Armored have the capabilityto plan, prepare, and execute air
  assault operations when the situation dictates. BCTs have maneuver, field artillery, reconnaissance and
  surveillance, sustainment, militaryintelligence, signal, and engineer capabilities that allowfor the effective
  executionofairassaultoperations.
  8-8. Although Stryker brigade combat teams (SBCTs) and Armored brigade combat teams (ABCTs) may
  not conduct air assaults as frequently as IBCTs, such operations conducted on a limited scale may be the
  decisive maneuver in an SBCT or ABCT operation. For this reason, all BCTs should be proficient in
  conducting air assaults. Examples of air assault operations conducted by SBCTs and ABCTs include
  seizing and retaining river-crossing sites, deliberate breach sites, and key terrain. Understanding the
  detailedplanningandpreparationthatgoesintoanairassaultenablestheSBCTorABCTto—
  (cid:122) Exploit the mobility and speed of task-organized or supporting helicopters to secure a key
  objectiveintheoffense.
  (cid:122) Reinforce a threatenedunitinthedefense.
  (cid:122) Placecombatpowerat a decisivepointinan areaofoperation.
  8-9. Due to the abundance and unrestricted use of all forms of improvised explosive devices and the
  threat of ground attack, it is common for aviation, engineer, and field artillery units to conduct air assault
  operations alongsideor air movementoperations separate fromtheir Infantrycounterparts.Ground tactical
  movementsubjectstheentireorganizationtothe threatofimprovisedexplosivedevicesorground attackas
  soonasthevehiclesleavetheirassemblyareasorbase.
  COMBAT AVIATION BRIGADES
  8-10. Most of the Army’s aviation combat power resides in combat aviation brigades, which can be task-
  organized based on the mission. (See table 8-1, page 8-3, and table 8-2, page 8-4.) These combat aviation
  brigades include various types of organizations with manned and unmanned systems and specialize in
  providingcombatcapabilitiestomultipleBCTs.
  8-11. In a BCT-sized airassault,thecombataviationbrigade typicallytask-organizesbasedonthe mission
  variables of METT-TCto formanaviation taskforce. Additionalaviation companies, platoons, or sections
  may be task-organized to include attack reconnaissance (manned and unmanned), mission command,
  communications relay, air medical evacuation, and air traffic services. In BCT-sized air assaults,
  reinforcement with additional aviation is a common way to mass combat power and accelerate force
  buildup.Othercombinedarms forces,toincludeInfantry,fieldartillery,orengineer, andsustainmentunits,
  maybepartofthecombataviationbrigadetaskorganizationforspecificmissions.
  8-12. Theaviationtaskforce employs a mixofattackreconnaissanceaircrafttosupportanairassault,Teamsof
  mixed attack and reconnaissance aircraft, commonly referred to as attack weapons teams and scout weapons
  teams,are organized and employed based onMETT-TC. An attack weaponsteamiscomposed of two AH-64
  attack helicopters. A scout weapons team is composed of two OH-58D scout helicopters. Planning
  considerationsforthetwoairframesinclude: