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Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition

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Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition or RSTA, is a type of unit in the United States Army.

Contents

Overview and makeup

RSTA units are based from cavalry squadrons, and act both at the squadron (battalion) level as a Brigade Reconnaissance Team for the regiment, but at the troop (company) level as a scout/sniper company for the squadron. Typically, a brigade/regiment designates one of its battalions/squadrons as a RSTA squadron. That RSTA squadron will then form 4 troops: 3 recce troops (consisting of 19D MOS cavalry scouts), a headquarters troop (HHT) which contains organic (that is, permanently and directly assigned) intelligence and communications support, and a surveillance troop with UAV aerial support. RSTA units can be found both in the active component of the Army (for example, 3-325th RSTA in the 82nd Airborne Division) and in the National Guard (for example, the 3-124th RSTA of the Florida National Guard's 53rd Infantry Brigade).

While the above is the most typical RSTA order of battle, it was derived from the newly created Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCT) and is designed around Stryker support. Non-SBCT RSTA squadrons typically have a modified order of battle. Most commonly, one of the recce troops is redesignated a dismounted infantry company (consisting of 11B MOS infantrymen) which serves as the battalion's forward scouts and usually contains the squadron's scout/snipers. The remaining recce troops assume a more traditional cavalry role.

It should be noted that women in supporting jobs, such as intelligence analyst or UAV repair are not eligible to serve in RSTA unit as it is considered a hazardous combat-arms position.

Training

RSTA troopers are usually all qualified in 19D (Cavalry scout) MOS's, while the infantry company within the RSTA Squadron has Infantrymen 11B -which serve as Scouts and Snipers, Indirect Fire Infantrymen (mortars)11C - which operate a 60mm Mortar Section, and various intelligence and communications soldiers. The Infantry Company's Soldiers ARE NOT cross trained as 19D Cavalrymen. The MTOE of the Infantry Company includes organic Zodiac F470 boats to insert the Infantry. The Infantry Company (it's an Infantry Company on the MTOE - not a Cavalry Troop) has few wheeled vehicles which directly belong to the Company'''. The operational cycle for the infantry company is plan, insert, infiltrate, execute, exfiltrate, extract, and finally debrief. The infantry company has the same mission as a typical Long Range Surveillance Company.

RSTA units as a squadron are not considered to be "elite" units: their cavalry scouts are no different than any other regiment's line cavalry. However, the infantry dismount scouts within a RSTA infantry company are considered "elite" in the same class as other long range surveillance and patrol units such as the LRS or LRRP's. RSTA troopers are often graduates of the army's elite schools including the U.S. Army Sniper School, Special Operations Target Interdiction Course, Ranger School, and other schools befitting a reconnaissance scout troop. Typical RSTA training includes land navigation, point and area surveillance operations, battle drills, MOUT (urban operations), and Quick-Reaction Force responses.

RSTA Mission Scope

According to JP 3-55, the official Joint Services publication defining the scope of RSTA operations, RSTA Operations are designed to provide several tiers of capability at the strategic (national defense policy), operational (theater level), or tactical (individual unit) levels.These include:

Indications and Warning (I&W)

RSTA I&W operations provide "information necessary to assess forces and installations that threaten the United States and its allies." RSTA missions may provide continuous surveillance or as-required reconnaissance, in order to provide warnings of impending threats or attacks, as well as to monitor compliance with international agreements. These operations may be conducted at the strategic, operational, or [tactical] levels.

Planning and Employment

Strategically, RSTA Planning and Employment operations are used to support the planning of military operations, by monitoring foreign nation's centers of warmaking capability, and providing information on enemy system capabilities, locations, and installations for the National Target Base and other target lists. This information is used to assist in formulation of the U.S. military's Single Integrated Operational Plan, Limited Attack Option plan, Unified Command Plan, and Joint Strategic Capabilities Plans.

Operationally, RSTA operations are similar to both the strategic and tactical levels, in that they provide commanders with date on areas such as environment, organization, infrastructure, and enemy forces to assist in planning theater wide operations.

Tactically, RSTA operations provide detailed information about enemy orders of battle, movement plans, offensive and defensive capabilities, terrain, and enemy disposition. RSTA units provide target detection and acquisition (in some cases, elimination), and real-time intelligence and surveillance. This is generally provided through the RSTA unit's scout company, UAVs, and sniper teams.

Assessment

At all three levels of command, RSTA units provide assesment both during and after military operations, such as Bomb Damage Assessment and follow-on surveillance. As a side effort to this, RSTA units conduct OPDEC (OPerational DECeption) missions to further impede enemy efforts.

As part of the Army-wide transfer to Brigade Units of Action, some brigades are transitioning to the Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) while others are transforming to Heavy Brigade Combat Teams (HBCT), other Brigades are becoming Stryker Brigade Combat Teams(SBCT). In each of the Three types of Brigades there is a Reconnaissance Squadron which performs Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition or RSTA.

Modern Reconnaissance Squadrons within Infantry Brigade Combat Teams are combined arms forces, they have added capabilities and equipment never before found within a LRSD or LRSC. The Reconnaissance Squadron is composed of a Squadron Headquarters, a Headquarters Troop, HHT, A Troop, B Troop, and C Company. Troops A and B, are light Cavalry Troops staffed with Cavalry Scouts and Armed with crew served weapons and maneuver in M1114 Armored Hummers these Troops perform many of the traditional cavalry missions. C Company is a Light Infantry Company minus which means it does not have the same number of infantrymen which are found in the Brigades other Infantry Companies. C Company is able to perform traditional LRS missions.

The Infantry Companies within Reconnaissance Squadron of the Infantry Brigade Combat Teams have Snipers, Scouts, Mortarmen, Communications and Intelligence personnel. Scouts may perform specialized tasks such as Scout Swimmers, Coxswains, Fast Rope Masters, Air Liaison, etc. The unit is capable of Waterborne, Air Assault, and Vehicle insertion. Organic vehicles include un-armored HMMWV's and may include small offroad vehicles in the near future. These companies typically perform long range movements to conduct reconnaissance tasks. The infantry company within a Reconnaissance Squadron is not a Cavalry unit, it does not perform traditional cavalry operations, instead it performs RSTA on foot.

The Reconnaissance Squadron is completely different from the Armored Cavalry formations of the cold war with massive Armored and BFV units intended to engage massive armored threats. FM's are still being written on the doctrine. Many Soldiers are scrambling to understand the new concepts of combined arms and the Reconnaissance Squadron.

M3 Bradleys, (due to being commissioned as cavalry), and are often assigned organic Unmanned Aerial Vehicle platoons along with additional communications and intelligence assets. Furthermore, most IBCT Reconnaissance Squadrons are not required to be airborne qualified (an exception being 3-325th RSTA of the 82nd Airborne Division), however many individual troopers in RSTA units are airborne or air assault qualified, and RSTA units often conduct long range air-assault operations. Finally, RSTA units are able to operate at a battalion or even brigade level as directed by the parent brigade or division for large-scale RSTA operations.

FM 3-90.6

RSTA Units in the U.S. Army

External links

 

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