Long Range Surveillance - Employment

Employment

LRSUs operate up to 100 kilometres (62 mi) from the Forward Line Of Troops (FLOT) for a maximum of 5 days. Their five primary missions are reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, battle damage assessment, and force protection. They also have many secondary missions capabilities to include carrying out emergency assaults or providing general battlefield information (weather and light data, map data, etc.) to military intelligence sources. Today's LRS units trace their origin to the US Army's Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol units LRRPs of Western Europe, later the Vietnam War, and to Army Rangers.

LRS team operations are characterized by the following:

1. Clandestine operations require Operational Security (OPSEC) procedures before, during, and after mission employment.
2. Team members depend on stealth, cover and concealment, and 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) from the Intelligence Officer (G2) for employment.