Intelligence and Reconnaissance Brigades Give
PLA Theater Commands Unprecedented Reach
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Army’s Intelligence and Reconnaissance Brigades (IRBs) represent
a new and dierent challenge for U.S. Army Corps counterreconnaissance operations due to the scope,
scale, and multidomain nature of their capabilities. IRBs give China’s operational ground forces the
ability to collect, process, and exploit intelligence in support of Theater Command (TC) operations. These
highly capable, technologically advanced units, built around both manned and unmanned reconnaissance
supporting joint operations. Understanding the IRBs’ disposition, organization, capabilities, and roles aids
training, and force structure to accomplish the counterreconnaissance task to “destroy, defeat, or repel
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The IRBs, which do not have an exact U.S. Army equivalent, are designed to support operational-
level, sophisticated mechanized forces and the PLA’s systems warfare approach using a combination of
reconnaissance platforms.
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Peter Wood & Rob Taber, Intelligence Analysts, TRADOC G-2
"Know The enemy"
Red Diamond
HTTPS://OE.TRADOC.ARMY.MIL/CATEGORY/RED-DIAMOND-POSTS
18 AUGUST 2025
U.S. Army
Training and Doctrine Command, G-2
APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE. DISTRIBUTION IS UNLIMITED.
