Fundamentals of Reconnaissance
SSG Tarazona
7 Fundamentals of Reconnaissance
• Reconnaissance is a crucial mission undertaking to obtain, by visual or other detection methods, information about the activities and resources of the enemy, or to secure information concerning a particular area.
• Reconnaissance before unit movements and occupation of the AA is critical to protecting the force and avoid the loss of combat power.
• Reconnaissance missions keep the force-free from contact as long as possible so that it can concentrate on its decisive operation.
What is the general concept of reconnaissance?
There are seven fundamentals of successful reconnaissance.
Reconnaissance fundamentals
• Retain freedom of maneuver.
• Report information rapidly and accurately.
• Ensure continuous reconnaissance.
• Do not keep reconnaissance assets in reserve.
• Develop the situation rapidly
• Orient on the reconnaissance objective.
• Gain and maintain enemy contact.
Retain Freedom of Maneuver
- If the recon assets are decisively engaged, reconnaissance stops, and a battle for survival begins. Reconnaissance assets must have clear engagement criteria that support the commander’s intent.
- Before initial contact, the reconnaissance unit adopts a combat formation designed to gain contact with the smallest possible friendly element.
- Initiative and knowledge of both the terrain and the enemy reduce the likelihood of decisive engagement and help maintain freedom of movement.
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Employ proper movement, reconnaissance techniques, and overwatching fires for that particular mission, enemy, terrain, time available, and civilian consideration.
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Why gain contact with the small possible element?
This provides the unit with the maximum opportunity for maneuver and enables it to avoid having the entire unit become decisively engaged.
Conduct Map reconnaissance before every mission and paid close attention to the intelligence reports.
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Report information Rapidly and Accurately
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- Reconnaissance assets acquire and report accurate and timely information on the enemy, terrain, and civil considerations of the area over which operations are conducted.
- Report exactly what they see and, if appropriate, what they do not see.
- Failing to report tells commander nothing.
why important send information rapidly and accurately
- Information may quickly lose its value.
- Information can change the mission plan.
- Information give the Commander a clear picture of the battlefield.
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the reconnaissance element encounters any situation that requires an active or passive response to the enemy. These situations may entail one or more of the seven forms of contact:
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- Visual contact ( friendly elements may or may not be observed by the enemy)
- Direct fire contact (direct fire )
- Indirect fire contact (projectile without relying on sight between the gun and its target)
- Contact with obstacles (enemy or unknown origin)
- Contact with aircraft (enemy or friendly )
- CBRN ( situations involving nuclear, biological, or chemical)
- Electronic Warfare. ( Disrupt communications)
- Civilians (Situations involving nonlethal, elements)
- Reports of no enemy activity are as important as reports of enemy activity.
- Seemingly unimportant information may be extremely important when combined with other information.
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Ensure Continuous Reconnaissance
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• The reconnaissance element conducts reconnaissance before, during, and after all operations.
• Before an operation, reconnaissance fills gaps in information about the enemy, the terrain, and civil considerations.
• During an operation, reconnaissance provides the commander with updated information
• After an operation, reconnaissance elements maintain contact with the enemy.
• Reconnaissance over extended distances and times may require pacing reconnaissance assets to maintain the effort, or rotating units to maintain continuous coverage.
• Effective reconnaissance is continuous
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Commanders use reconnaissance to create their plan for the Operation.
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The information provided by the reconnaissance element verifies the enemy’s composition, dispositions, and intentions as the battle progresses.
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- To determine the enemy’s next move.
- To collect information, including terrain and civil considerations, necessary for planning subsequent operations.
The human and technical assets used in the reconnaissance effort must be allowed time for rest, resupply, troop leading procedures, additional and refresher training, and preventive maintenance checks and services.
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Do Not Keep Reconnaissance Assets Reserve
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- Reconnaissance assets, like artillery assets, are never kept in reserve. The reconnaissance assets use all of their resources to accomplish the mission.
- The commander uses available reconnaissance assets based on their capabilities and (METT-TC) to answer CCIRs. (the commander’s critical information requirements)
- The reconnaissance element can be assigned to multiple roles.
- Never leave any piece of equipment that can give you an advantage over the enemy.
- This does not mean that all assets are committed all the time.
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CCIRs. (the Commander’s critical information requirements)
Information required by the Commander to assist in the decision process of planing an operation.
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The reconnaissance element can conduct security and other combat missions in an economy-of-force role as a reserve for security or combat missions.
Develop the situation rapidly
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The reconnaissance element must be capable of developing any situation rapidly. (actions on contact)
Actions on contact
A series of combat actions often conducted simultaneously taken on contact with enemy to situation
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Actions on contact are :
- deploy and report.
- Evaluate and develop the situation.
- choose a course of action.
- Execute selected course of action
- Recommend a course of action to higher Commander.
Obstacles
- For an obstacle, it must determine the type and extent of the obstacle and whether it is covered by fire.
- Obstacles can provide the attacker with information concerning the location of enemy forces, weapon capabilities, and organization of fires
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Assume every obstacle is covered by enemy fire or observation.
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For an Enemy Force
The reconnaissance must determine the enemy’s composition, dispositions, activities, and movements and assess the implications of that information
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Orient on the Reconnaissance
- The commander uses the reconnaissance objective to focus reconnaissance efforts.
- Subordinate reconnaissance elements remain focused on achieving this objective, regardless of what their elements encounter during the mission.
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Gain and Maintain Enemy Contact
- The commander uses the reconnaissance objective to focus reconnaissance efforts
- subordinate reconnaissance elements remain focused on achieving this objective, regardless of what their elements encounter during the mission.
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What is the reconnaissance Objective?
• Commander orient their reconnaissance assets by Identifying a reconnaissance objective in the AO.
• The reconnaissance Objective is a terrain feature, Geographic area, enemy force, or other operational variables.
• The commander assigns a reconnaissance objective based on PIRs.
• The reconnaissance objective can be information about a specific geographical location, such as the cross-country trafficability of a area, a specific enemy or adversary activity to be confirmed or denied.