Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols, or LRRPs (pronounced "lurp"), were special small four to six-man teams in the Vietnam War on highly dangerous special reconnaissance missions deep into enemy territory.
The first US Army Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol units were in the 11th Airborne Division in Augsburg Germany in 1956. Their training was very similar to later LRRP and LRP units. The 11th had a cadre of trained LRRPs spread out throughout the division and formed LRRP patrols on an as needed basis.
The LRRP concept was well known throughout the Army though it seemed to be concentrated in 7th Army in Germany. After the 11th Airborne returned to the US, the 504th and 505th parchute infantry units in Mainz each had standing LRRP platoons.
Provisional LRRP Companies made up of both trained LRRPs and regular soldiers were put together for a series of exercises called Wintershield and proved themselves in the field.
This led to the 1961 formation of two Department of the Army authorized LRRP Companies in Wildflecken and Nellingen Barracks (near Stuttgart). The US Army LRRP Companies (Abn) were numbered 3779 and 3780, and were assigned to V Corps and VII Corps respectively. V Corps LRRP transferred to Frankfurt near Corps HQ in 1963. The two companies developed the first LRRP Table of Organization and Equipment which was approved in 1965 increasing their strength to 208 men, increasing patrol size from 4 to 5 men, and adding an organic transport component. All LRRPs from Patrol Leader up were supposed to be Ranger qualified. The experiences of the two first LRRP companies also formed the basis of the first Army LRRP manual.
Both companies used CW (Morse Code) radios including the TRC-77 for long range communications to their respective Corps G-2 (Intelligence) through 3 mobile base stations (each).
The companies were transferred to the United States in 1968 under the Reduction in Armed Forces Germany (REFORGER) agreement with the Soviet Union but neither unit was sent to Vietnam because they retained their assigned role as LRRP units for V and VII Corps in the event of war in Europe.
The units were Rangered, like the Vietnam LRRP and LRP units, in early 1969 and became A/75 and B/75. They were the only Ranger units left on active duty at the end of the Vietnam War and continued in service until November 1974 when they were disbanded with most of their personnel forming the basis of the new Ranger Battalions.
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Impressed by the Australian SASR methods in Vietnam, American General William Westmoreland ordered the formation of a Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) unit in each infantry brigade, modelled on the SASR.[1] Early in the war long range reconnaissance patrols were performed by a limited number of infantry battalion Recon Platoons. Later LRRP units were provisional platoon-sized units. By 1967, formal LRRP companies were organized, some having two platoons, each with eight six-man patrols. Training was notoriously rigorous. Similar missions, although more likely to be clandestine, deeper penetrating, and more like Special reconnaissance, were run in Vietnam by the Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) Studies and Observation Group (SOG).
Within the U.S. Marine Corps, these missions were typically assigned to Marine Recon, especially Force Recon, units assigned to corps-level (i.e., Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF)) level, as opposed to the Battalion Recon units answering to battalion commanders.
Beginning in February 1969, all LRRPs were folded into the newly-formed 75th Ranger Regiment, bringing back operational Ranger units. The Army had disbanded Ranger units after Korea, but kept Ranger school, on the theory that spreading Ranger School graduates throughout the Army would improve overall performance.
The LRRP operated on reconnaissance and combat patrols, either obtaining highly vital intelligence, or performing highly dangerous raids and ambushes. The tactical employment of LRRPs was later evaluated to be generally used far too dangerously by strategic commanders, who were pleased by the extraordinary kill ratios for LRRPs teams (sometimes reported as high as 400 enemy troops for every LRRP killed). Their use was reconsidered and restructured into modern day Long Range Surveillance (LRS) units.
Other units known as LRRPs can be found in international militaries, such as the LRRP unit trained and used by the Military Intelligence in Sri Lanka. Unconfirmed reports suggest training was provided by outside entities, such as the Green Berets, Navy SEALs, British SAS and the Israeli military. The LRRP has been very successful in covert operations against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorists in the northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. Its members were so successful in assassinating key LTTE figures that many LTTE leaders refused to come out of their jungle bunkers before the 2002 ceasefire was implemented. After the resumption of hostilities, it is believed that the LRRP units were conducting operations in the LTTE held northern province.[2] The LTTE has accused the Sri Lankan Deep Penetration Units of launching attacks on LTTE leaders and civilians in their areas, although the Sri Lankan Government denies any involvement in these attacks. The teams have had success against LTTE leaders such as military intelligence leader Colonel Charles and many other leaders. Other success have included observing LTTE training camps and calling in air strikes. The LRRP's successes and dedicated operators have garnered a fearful reputation among the LTTE.
The former Sri Lanka Army commander General Sarath Fonseka had recently acknowledged that LRRP units were used to beat the LTTE at their own game.It was later revealed that LTTE, who were masters at jungle warfare refused to engage in combat and withdrew from their positions instead of holding the ground because of these elite soldiers. These units falls under 3rd Commando Regiment and 3rd Special Forces Regiment of the Sri Lanka Army. The LRP concept was initially developed by a Commando officer named Major Sreepathi Gunasekara who formed special recce unit called 'Delta Patrols' in the year 1986 which later formed as the LRRP Group and formed into LRP battalion at present.(Sri Lanka Army Special Forces Regiment). They along with other Special Forces units & Commandos (Sri Lanka Army Commando Regiment) played a vital role in eliminating the LTTE, including Velupillai Prabhakaran, the founder and leader of the Tamil Tigers. Sri Lanka's LRRP has also been a major cause of internal breakdown and eventual destruction of the LTTE as it has associated with creating rifts between the terrorists. It is one of the core units of Directorate of Military Intelligence (Sri Lanka). The Federal Bureau of Investigation has classified LTTE as among the most dangerous terrorist outfits in the world [1].
In the German Bundeswehr, LLRP is called Fernspäher (long-range scouts). Historically, the German Fernsphäher units were modelled after the Finnish long-range patrols and derived from the existing elite units of Gebirgsjäger and Fallschirmjäger. Originally, there were 3 companies of Fernspäher in the Bundeswehr, one being assigned to each Corps. Today, after the reformation of German special forces in 1996, the Fernspählehrkompanie 200 (FSLK200) is the single remaining Fernspäher unit. Furthermore, some Fernspähers serve as part of the Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK) and provide scouting for the special forces. The Fernspähers are part of the Special Operations Division. FSLK200 is the only German special force-type unit which has also recruited women.
Details about operations of the FSLK200 are kept secret. Nonetheless it is known that Fernspäher have carried out missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the Kosovo War and later during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
In Finland, long-range patrols (kaukopartio) were especially notable in the Second World War. For example, Erillinen Pataljoona 4 (4th Detached Battalion), a command of four different long range patrol units, Osasto Paatsalo, Osasto Kuismanen, Osasto Vehniäinen and Osasto Marttina operated throughout the Finnish Campaign 1941-44. These units penetrated Soviet lines and conducted recon and destroy missions.
During the trench warfare period of the Continuation War, long-range patrols were often conducted by special Finnish sissi troops.
Former President of Finland, Mauno Koivisto, served in Lauri Törni's specially designed Jäger Company in the Finnish 1st Infantry Division. This unit conducted several difficult missions against Soviet strongholds and attacks. Lauri Törni became a US citizen and entered in the US Army, becoming a Special Forces soldier. He gave the US Army Special Forces important knowledge in long range patrolling and fighting. He was declared MIA during the Vietnam War in 1965, until his remains were found and were buried in Arlington on June 26, 2003.
The Danish Defence Forces had two Longe Range Surveillance Companies (LRSC) known as "Patrol-Companies" - one assigned to the Jyske Division (later Danish Division) and one assigned to the Land Command Zealand (Corps-level) later to the Danish Army Operational Command. Patruljekompagniet was an all volunteer unit within the Danish Home Guard, and has now changed its name to Special Support and Reconnaissance (SSR) Company.
The Honourable Artillery Company and its regular sister unit, 4/73 (Sphinx) Special Observation Post Battery RA, operate in this role. During the cold war, the Corps Patrol Unit (CPU) consisted of 21 and 23 SAS and the HAC.
Special Frontier Force is considered as one of the best in Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols or Pathfinders.They can remain hidden under the nose of the enemy for days or weeks on an end. The outfit was trained to do this against the Chinese but actually used the technique to great success in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and the fields of the northern state of Punjab.
The Norwegian Army has a LRRP capacity dating back to the 1960s, Fjernoppklaring (remote reconnaissance). It was split in two, creating a new group of airborn special forces, Hærens Jegerkommando, but remains today as a part of the ISTAR concept.
The NATO International Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol School (ILRRPS), based first at Weingarten and then Pfullendorf, provided training to LRRP units from the United States, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Greece, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Portugal and Turkey.