Reconnaissance

military exploration beyond the area occupied by friendly forces

Reconnaissance, sometimes called scouting, is the act of exploring to gain military information. Often referred to as recce (UK, Canada and Australia, pronounced /ˈrɛki/) or recon (U.S., pronounced /ˈriːkɒn/), 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

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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

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  1. A Dictionary of Aviation, David W. Wragg. ISBN 9780850451634, 1st Edition Published by Osprey, 1973 / Published by Frederick Fell, Inc., NY, 1974 (1st American Edition.), Page 222.