Reconnaissance , sometimes called scouting , is the act of exploring to gain military information. Often referred to as recce ( UK , Canada and Australia , pronounced /?r?ki/ ) or recon ( U.S. , pronounced /?riːk?n/ ), the associated formal verb is reconnoitre (British spelling) or reconnoiter (American spelling). ^[1] In informal English, both recce and recon are often also used as a verb . The term is sometimes used in civilian / paramilitary and various government contexts.

Reconnaissance-in-force [ change | change source ]

Often, units sent out for reconnaissance are armed only for self-defense . They rely on stealth to gather information . Others are well-enough armed to also deny information to the enemy by fighting and or destroying their reconnaissance parties.

Reconnaissance-in-force (RIF) is a method of probing an enemy's position. An attack, even with a small force, may get a strong reaction by the enemy. Hopefully that reveals the enemy's strength, deployment, and other tactical information . The RIF commander can fall back with the information or expand the conflict into a full engagement . Other methods consist of hit-and-run tactics using moving very fast. In some cases light-armored vehicles are used for added fire superiority, as the need arises.

References [ change | change source ]

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