Long Range Surveillance

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Long Range Surveillance (LRS) (pronounced "lurse") are elite, specially-trained surveillance units of the United States Army employed for clandestine military operations by the Military Intelligence for gathering direct human intelligence information deep within enemy territory. Classic LRS employment is to infiltrate deep into enemy territory, construct hide and surveillance sites, and provide continuous surveillance/special reconnaissance of an intelligence target of key interest. LRS teams allow 24-hour surveillance and analysis coverage unlike Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), manned aircraft, and most satellites. Assuming there is no mission compromise, these teams typically remain in position for up to 30 days, as determined by the availability of food and water.[1]

Today's LRS units trace their origin to the US Army's Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol units LRRPs of Western Europe and the Vietnam War, and to Army Rangers.[2]

Mission

LRSUs operate up to 200 kilometres (120 mi) from the Forward Line Of Troops (FLOT) for a maximum of 30 days.[citation needed] Their five primary missions are reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, battle damage assessment, and force protection. They also have many secondary missions capabilities to include enemy prisoner-snatch, wiretapping, field assassinations, emergency assaults, general battlefield information (weather and light data, map data, etc.) and enemy equipment/infrastructure sabotage.

LRS team operations are characterized by the following:

  1. LRSU Clandestine operations require Operational Security (OPSEC) and Personal Security (PERSEC) measures and procedures before, during, and after mission employment. This is to protect the individual team members as well as maintain operational integrity of the LRS cell.
  2. Team members depend on stealth, cover, concealment, infantry, and ranger skills.
  3. Team members avoid contact with enemy forces and local population.
  4. Teams are employed to obtain timely information.
  5. Teams have restricted mobility in the area of operations.
  6. Team members depend on communications, knowing the enemy's order of battle, and equipment identification skills.
  7. The Surveillance or reconnaissance area is small, has a specified route, or is a specific location or installation.
  8. Team equipment and supplies are limited to what can be man packed or cached.
  9. Teams require detailed intelligence preparation of the battlefield (IPB) and debriefing from the Intelligence Officer (G2) for employment.[3]

Organization

LRS units (LRSU) are Infantry company-size elements that are assets within a Battlefield Surveillance Brigade's Reconnaissance & Surveillance Squadron (R&S Squadron) designated as US Army Cavalry but are functionally Airborne Infantry units. The LRSU is structured as an LRS troop (a "troop" is the Cavalry equivalent of an infantry company) comprising three LRS platoons, a communications Platoon, and a Troop Headquarters. Within the LRS troop the LRS platoons typically have designated specialties. Typically, there are three teams, also known as "decks." Deck one is usually the mountain deck, specializing in mountain warfare. Deck two is the dive deck, specializing in water-borne operations such as scuba diving and infiltrating harbors and ports as well as employing the zodiac. Deck three is HALO (High Altitude, Low Open), specializing in airborne operations. This means jumping from a high performance military aircraft at an altitude in excess of ten thousand feet and deploying parachutes at one to two thousand feet. Deck three can also perform HAHO (High Altitude, High Open) operations. This means jumping from a high performance military aircraft in excess of ten thousand feet and deploying parachutes shortly after leaving the aircraft. LRS platoons are organized as five unsupported LRS teams.

LRS Team composition

Each US Army LRS team is composed of six soldiers:

  • Team Leader (TL) Staff Sergeant (E-6)
  • Assistant Team Leader (ATL) Sergeant (E-5)
  • Senior Scout Observer (SSO) Specialist (E-4)
  • Radio Telephone Operator (RTO) Specialist (E-4)
  • Scout Observer (SO) Specialist (E-4)
  • Assistant Radio Telephone Operator (ARTO) Specialist (E-4)

Reconnaissance & Surveillance Squadron

LRS units are being transferred into the United States Army's new Battlefield Surveillance Brigade (BfSB) organizations. These brigades contain a Brigade Headquarters & Headquarters Company (HHC), two Military Intelligence Battalions, and a Reconnaissance & Surveillance Squadron (R&S).

The Reconnaissance & Surveillance squadrons conduct the same reconnaissance missions as a RSTA but the R&S capabilities are vastly broader and encompass all aspects of basic reconnaissance. Additionally, LRS units have the added capability of conducting strategic level Long Range Surveillance missions deep behind enemy lines. Due to this specialized capability of strategic Long Range Surveillance, the LRS units' R&S capability is significantly more comprehensive than RSTAs. The US Army RSTA units' missions may require them to make and maintain contact with the enemy, forfeiting their ability to avoid detection. The only units within the US Army to specialize in the capability and skill of the Long Range Surveillance mission are those of the Long Range Surveillance units within the US Army's Battlefield Surveillance Brigades, Special Forces Operation Detachment Alphas (ODA) (also known as Special Forces A Teams that reside within the US Army's Special Forces Groups) and the Regimental Reconnaissance Company of the US Army's 75th Ranger Regiment. The BfSB's R&S squadron is composed one Long Range Surveillance unit (Troop C) with 15 LRS teams that conducts both tactical reconnaissance and strategic Long Range Surveillance missions. The R&S also has two Cavalry Troops (two platoons each) that conduct basic mounted and dismounted tactical reconnaissance and a Headquarters & Headquarters Troop (HHT).

The primary method of insertion behind enemy lines (for a 6-man LRS team) is by night helicopter or secondarily, by an Airborne Operation. In recent low-intensity conflicts, additional covert means have been added. Airborne reconnaissance missions are conducted by the previously mentioned three types of units in the Army: Long Range Surveillance (LRS) units, the Regimental Recon Company (formerly the Regimental Recon Detachment) of the 75th Ranger Regiment, and various Special Forces A-Teams.[4]

Contrast with Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition units

LRS units (Airborne Infantry) are not to be confused with the new Army concept of Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition (RSTA) units (a non-Airborne capable Cavalry unit). As part of the Army-wide transfer to Brigade Combat Teams, all combat divisions and separate brigades are transitioning to the RSTA format.

RSTA units also have added light vehicle support in the form of Humvees and M3 Bradleys, due to being commissioned as cavalry. LRS units in contrast do not utilize a larger vehicle support element. RSTA units are not airborne capable, whereas all LRS units are (exceptions being the RSTA squadron of the 4th BCT (Abn), 25th Infantry Division; the 173rd Airborne BCT; and the four in the 82nd Airborne Division).

By doctrine, RSTA units do not require their leadership positions to be filled by Ranger qualified officers and NCOs, as LRS units do in addition to many more specialized skill qualifications.

Equipment

LRS team members usually carry the M4 carbine, M203 grenade launcher, M9 pistol, and the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) as well as the typical complement of specialized optics and communications gear.

Training

LRSUs are Airborne Forces and most leadership positions are filled by Ranger qualified officers and NCOs. LRS leaders typically undergo the Reconnaissance and Surveillance Leaders Course (RSLC) at Fort Benning, where they learn long range land navigation, communications, intelligence, vehicle identification, survival, and operational techniques.

LRS troopers are often graduates of other specialized schools including:

US Army LRS-Us conduct training exercises and exchange programs with various US allies. In recent years these exercises have included deployments to England, Germany, France, Hungary, and Italy. Joint training exercises have involved units from British TA SAS, France's 13e RDP, Belgium's ESR, Italy's 9th Parachute Assault Regiment and Germany's FSLK200.

External links

See also

References

  1. ↑ Eyes Behind the Lines: US Army Long-Range Reconnaissance and Surveillance Units
  2. ↑ Robert C. Ankony, Lurps: A Ranger's Diary of Tet, Khe Sanh, A Shau, and Quang Tri, revised ed., Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Lanham, MD (2009).
  3. ↑ US Army Field Manual 7-93 Long Range Surveillance Unit Operations. (FM 7-93)
  4. ↑ Eyes Behind the Lines: US Army Long-Range Reconnaissance and Surveillance Units

Sources


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