Editing Reconnaissance (section)

==Types==
[[File:1st Recon Battalion owns the night 160928-M-OI329-002.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Night vision]] photograph of U.S. Marines of the [[1st Marine Division]] during a night reconnaissance training mission, 2016]]
When referring to reconnaissance, a commander's full intention is to have a vivid picture of his [[battlespace]]. The commander organizes the reconnaissance platoon based on:

# mission,
# enemy,
# terrain,
# troops and support available,
# time available, and
# civil considerations.

This analysis determines whether the platoon uses single or multiple elements to conduct the reconnaissance, whether it pertains to '''area''', '''zone''', or '''route reconnaissance''', the following techniques may be used as long as the fundamentals of reconnaissance are applied.

Scouts may also have different tasks to perform for their commanders of higher echelons, for example: the [[engineer reconnaissance]] detachments will try to identify difficult terrain in the path of their formation, and attempt to reduce the time it takes to transit the terrain using specialist engineering equipment such as a [[pontoon bridge]] for crossing water obstacles. [[Sanitary epidemiological reconnaissance]] implies collection and transfer of all data available on [[sanitary]] and [[epidemiological]] situation of the area of possible deployment and action of [[armed forces]], the same data for the neighboring and enemy armed forces. The aim for the reconnaissance is to clear up the reasons of the specific disease origin- sources of the [[infection]] in various extreme situations, including local [[war]]s and [[armed conflict]]s, the ways of the infection transfer and all factors promoting to the [[infestation]].

After the armed forces have become stationary during wartime and emergency of peacetime the sanitary epidemiological reconnaissance turns into sanitary and epidemiological [[surveillance]] and medical control of vital and communal activity of the armed forces.<ref name="Beliakov 1976 p153">Beliakov VD Military Epidemiology. Textbook in Russian. Leningrad, 1976 p153.</ref><ref>Mel'nichenko P. I., Ogarkov O. I., Lizunov Yu. V. ''Military Hygiene and Military Epidemiology''. 400 pp., ill. 2005 {{ISBN|5-225-04849-8}}</ref>

===Area===
[[File:Montagnards in field.png|right|thumb|[[United States Army|U.S. Army]] [[Long-range reconnaissance patrol|LRRP]] [[Montagnard (Vietnam)|Montagnard]] scouts in [[Quảng Trị province|Quang Tri Province]], [[Vietnam]]]]
Area reconnaissance refers to the observation, and information obtained, about a specified location and the area around it; it may be terrain-oriented and/or force-oriented.  Ideally, a reconnaissance platoon, or team, would use surveillance or vantage (static) points around the objective to observe, and the surrounding area. This methodology focuses mainly prior to moving forces into or near a specified area; the military commander may utilize his reconnaissance assets to conduct an area reconnaissance to avoid being surprised by unsuitable terrain conditions, or most importantly, unexpected enemy forces.  The area could be a town, ridge-line, woods, or another feature that friendly forces intend to occupy, pass through, or avoid.<ref name="FM 7-92"/>

Within an [[area of operation]] (AO), area reconnaissance can focus the reconnaissance on the specific area that is critical to the commander.  This technique of focusing the reconnaissance also permits the mission to be accomplished more quickly.  Area reconnaissance can thus be a stand-alone mission or a task to a section or the platoon.  The commander analyzes the mission to determine whether the platoon will conduct these types of reconnaissance separately or in conjunction with each other.<ref name="FM 7-92"/>

===Civil===
Civil reconnaissance is the process of gathering a broad spectrum of civil information about a specific population in support of military operations. It is related to and often performed in conjunction with infrastructure reconnaissance (assessment and survey). Normally the focus of collection in the operational area for civil reconnaissance is collecting civil information relating to the daily interaction between civilians and military forces.  Civil information encompasses relational, temporal, geospatial and behavioral information captured in a socio-cultural backdrop.  It is information developed from data related to civil areas, structures, capabilities, organizations, people, and events, within the civil component of the commander's operational environment that can be processed to increase situational awareness and understanding. The type of civil information that is needed in order to support military operations varies based on the environment and situation.<ref>{{cite web|last=Burke|first=Kevin|title=Civil Reconnaissance; Separating the Insurgent from the Population|url=http://www.oss.net/dynamaster/file_archive/081025/85d11dcaf79e3c181386446dd4c27382/NPS%20Thesis%20on%20Civil%20Reconnaissance.pdf|publisher=NPS|access-date=29 December 2017|archive-date=22 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222025420/http://www.oss.net/dynamaster/file_archive/081025/85d11dcaf79e3c181386446dd4c27382/NPS%20Thesis%20on%20Civil%20Reconnaissance.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Joint Publication 3-57 |url=https://fas.org/irp/doddir/dod/jp3_57.pdf |publisher=US Government|access-date=29 December 2017}}</ref>

===Route===
{{stack|[[File:US Navy 030412-N-1485H-009 Seabee Engineer Reconnaissance Team (SERT) reach their mission destination to determine if an old bridge can be used to support troop and convoy movements during an annual field exercise.jpg|thumb|U.S. [[Seabee (US Navy)|Seabee]] Engineer Reconnaissance Team on a mission to determine whether a bridge can be used to support troop and convoy movements.]]}}
[[Route reconnaissance]] is oriented on a given route (e.g., a road, a railway, a waterway; i.e., a narrow axis or a general direction of attack) to provide information on route conditions or activities along the route.  A military commander relies on information about locations along his determined route: which of those that would provide best cover and concealment; bridge by construction type, dimensions, and classification; or for [[landing zone]]s or pickup zones, if the need arises.<ref name="FM 7-92" />

In many cases, the commander may act upon a ''force-oriented'' route reconnaissance by which the enemy could influence movement along that route. For the reconnaissance platoons, or squads, stealth and speed—in conjunction with detailed intelligence-reporting—are most important and crucial. The reconnaissance platoon must remain far enough ahead of the maneuver force to assist in early warning and to prevent the force from becoming surprised.{{fact|date=December 2023}}

It is paramount to obtain information about the available space in which a force can maneuver without being forced to bunch up due to obstacles. ''Terrain-oriented'' route reconnaissance allows the commander to obtain information and capabilities about the adjacent terrain for maneuvering his forces, to include, any obstacles (minefields, barriers, steep ravines, marshy areas, or [[chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear]] contamination) that may obstruct vehicle movement—on routes to, and in, his assigned area of operations. This requirement includes the size of trees and the density of forests due to their effects on vehicle movement. Route reconnaissance also allows the observation for fields of fire along the route and adjacent terrain. This information assists planners as a supplement to map information.{{fact|date=December 2023}}

===Zone===
Zone reconnaissance focuses on obtaining detailed information before maneuvering their forces through particular, designated locations. It can be terrain-oriented, force-oriented, or both, as it acquire this information by reconnoitering within—and by maintaining surveillance over—routes, obstacles (to include nuclear-radiological, biological, and chemical contamination), and resources within an assigned location.<ref name="MCDP 1-0"/>

Also, ''force-oriented'' zone reconnaissance is assigned to gain detailed information about enemy forces within the zone, or when the enemy situation is vague by which the information concerning cross-country traffic-ability is desired.<ref name="FM 7-92"/> The reconnaissance provides the commander with a detailed picture of how the enemy has occupied the zone, enabling him to choose the appropriate course-of-action.

As the platoon conducts this type of zone reconnaissance, its emphasis is on determining the enemy's locations, strengths, and weaknesses. This is the most thorough and complete reconnaissance mission and therefore is very time-intensive.