The Army will add a new combat aviation brigade, designated the 16th Aviation Group, and increase the number of helicopters to medical evacuation companies to 15 from 12, the service’s chief operations officer said Jan. 6 during the U.S. Army Aviation Symposium, sponsored by the Association for the U.S. Army and held in Arlington, Va. “The Army will aggressively grow this strategic capability in order to improve air medial evacuation in combat,” Lt. Gen. James D. Thurman told an audience of AUSA members and contractors. “The priority will be Afghanistan with the first transformed 15-ship company arrive in late spring.” Thurman said the Army is also considering restructuring of the four active-component heavy and one light combat aviation brigades, and that use of unmanned aircraft vehicles in combat will continue to increase. All brigade combat teams will have Shadow tactical UAVs available by the end of 2011, Thurman said.
