Long Range Surveillance
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Modern Long Range Surveillance, or LRS (pronounced "lurse"), units (LRSU'S)are specially employed elite surveillance units that are utilized by Military Intelligence (Example: 313th Military Intelligence Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division) for intelligence gathering deep into hostile territories.
They fall under a Military Intelligence battalion (strictly, an MI Tactical Exploitation Battalion, or TEB) but are themselves Airborne Infantry units. LRS Units (LRSU) are formulated as either larger LRS Companies (LRSC), comprising 3 line LRS platoons, or smaller LRS Detachments (LRSD), comprising 1 line LRS platoon. A given line LRS platoon is organized as 6 unsupported LRS teams. LRSU operate up to 150 kilometers (90 for LRSD) behind the Forward Line of Troops (FLOT) a maximum of 8 days. Their 5 primary missions are reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, battle damage assessment, and force protection. Beyond these, they also have many secondary missions to provide general battlefield information to military intelligence sources, such as weather and light data, map data, etc. Today's LRS units trace their origin to the US Army's Long Range Reconnaissance Units LRRPs of the Vietnam War and to Army Rangers. Like other elite units, LRS are Airborne, and most leadership positions are filled by Ranger qualified officers and NCOs. Typically, LRS soldiers undergo the Reconnaissance Surveillance Leadership Course (RSLC) at Fort Benning, similarly developing long range land navigation, communications, intelligence, vehicle identification, survival, and operational techniques. LRS team members usually carry the M4 carbine, M203 grenade launcher, and M9 9mm pistol, as well as the typical complement of specialized optics and communications gear.
LRS units (Infantry) are not to be confused with the new Army concept of RSTA units (Cavalry). As part of the Army-wide transfer to Brigade Units of Action, some infantry divisions and separate brigades are transitioning to the RSTA format. LRS units are being transferred to the Army's new Battlefield Surveillance Brigade (BfSB) format. The brigade contains a Brigade HHC, a Battlefield Surveillance Targeting Battalion (BSTB), a Military Intelligence Battalion and a Surveillance Reconnaissance Battalion (SRB). The SRB has an HHC, One Long Range Surveillance Company (LRSC) with 15 teams and two Cavalry Troops, each with two platoons. The RSTA capabilities are broader to encompass all aspects of basic reconnaissance and surveillance . The LRS units conduct the same reconnaissance and surveillance missions as a RSTA but they also have the more specialized capability of being able to conduct surveillance mission deep behind enemy line. Airborne reconnaissance missions are conducted by only three types of units in the Army. These units are the various LRS units, the Regimental Recon Detachment of the 75th Ranger Regiment, and various Special Forces (SF) units. RSTA units also have added light vehicle support in the form of HMMWVs and M3 Bradleys, (due to being commissioned as cavalry), whereas the LRS units do not utilize a larger vehicle support element. RSTA units are not airborne capable as are all LRS units (an exception being 3-325th RSTA of the 82nd Airborne). A primary method of inserting behind enemy lines to conduct surveillance (for a 6 man LRS team) is by night Airborne operation. In addition, By doctrine, RSTA units do not require their leadership positions to be filled by Ranger qualified officers and NCOs as LRSU units do. LRS unit's reconnaissance capability is more comprehensive than RSTA's, which may have to make and maintain contact with the opposition, thus failing to avoid detection. LRS troopers are often graduates of the army's elite schools including the U.S. Army Sniper School, SOTIC, Ranger School, SCUBA School, HALO, Scout Swimmer, RSLC, Pathfinder, Sabalauski Air Assault School, and other schools befitting a reconnaissance scout troop. US LRSUs conduct training exercises and exchange programs with various US allies. In recent years these exercises have included deployments to England, Germany, and Italy. Joint training exercises have involved units from British TA SAS, France's 13 RDP, Belgium's ESR, Italy's 9 Para Assault Regiment and Germany's Long Range Scout Company's.
[edit] See also
- Hjemmevaernets Patruljer - The LRS units of the Danish Armed Forces
- Jegerkompaniet (eng: Ranger Company (infantry)) LRS unit of the Norwegian Armed Forces
- Fjernoppklaringseskadron (eng: Long Range Reconnaissance Squadron (cavalry)) LRS unit of the Norwegian Armed Forces
