Armoured reconnaissance

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Armoured reconnaissance is a job perform by soldiers in armoured vehicles. These soldiers normally belong to an armoured regiment, but they may belong to an armoured reconnaissance regiment, which is considered to be an armoured regiment. The mission of armoured reconnaissance is the same as any other type of reconnaissance, which is to learn information about the enemy.

Contents 1 Commonwealth armies 1.1 Australian Army 1.2 British Army 1.3 Canadian Army 1.4 Sri Lankan Army 1.5 South African Army 1.6 New Zealand Army 2 NATO armies 2.1 Belgian Army 2.2 Royal Danish Army 2.3 Royal Netherlands Army

[edit] Commonwealth armies

[edit] Australian Army

In the Australian Army the main reconnaissance vehicle is the ASLAV, which is the Australian version of the LAV 25. The Army Reserve regiments use the Light Cavalry Patrol Vehicle, aka the Regional Force Surveillance Vehicle, which is a variety of the Land Rover family.

Armoured reconnaissance regiments in the Australian Army

Regular

1. 2nd Cavalry Regiment
2. 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry)

Reserve

1. 1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers
2. 3rd/9th South Australia Mounted Rifles
3. 4th/19th Prince of Wales's Light Horse
4. 10th Light Horse Regiment

[edit] British Army

In the British Army armoured reconnaissance is known as formation reconnaissance. In the British Army their task is to provide armoured reconnaissance for a higher-level formation, usually a division or a heavy brigade. In a large-scale defensive operation, they would delay attacking forces, whilst screening heavier units as they moved to engage the enemy. The regiments are, currently, almost entirely equipped with vehicles of the CVR(T) family. Some of the armoured regiments of the British Army are know as formation reconnaissance instead of armoured.

Formation reconnaissance regiments in the British Army

Household Cavalry

1. The Life Guards
2. The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons)

Royal Armoured Corps

Heavy Cavalry

1. 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards

Light Cavalry

1. 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's)
2. The Light Dragoons
3. The Queen's Royal Lancers

Territorial Army

1. The Queen's Own Yeomanry

[edit] Canadian Army

In the Canadian army all armoured regiments have at least one reconnaissance squadron. The Canadian Army is centred around the infantry^{[citation needed]} and as such only two regiments, The Royal Canadian Dragoons and Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians), are designated as armoured regiments. The rest are known as armoured reconnaissance. In the Canadian Army the members of armoured regiments and armoured reconnaissance are both members of the armoured trade. Armoured reconnaissance is normally known as armoured recce. An 18th reserve regiment is to be reactivated. The Halifax Rifles (RCAC) will be the only armoured regiment in Nova Scotia.

Armoured reconnaissance regiments in the Canadian Army

Regular

1. 12^e Régiment blindé du Canada

Reserve

1. The Governor General's Horse Guards
2. 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's)
3. The Ontario Regiment (RCAC)
4. The Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment) (RCAC)
5. Sherbrooke Hussars
6. 12^e Régiment blindé du Canada (Milice)
7. 1st Hussars
8. The Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC)
9. The Royal Canadian Hussars (Montreal)
10. The British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) (RCAC)
11. The South Alberta Light Horse
12. The Saskatchewan Dragoons
13. The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC)
14. The British Columbia Dragoons
15. The Fort Garry Horse
16. Le Régiment de Hull (RCAC)
17. The Windsor Regiment (RCAC)

[edit] Sri Lankan Army

The Sri Lanka Army has five recce regiments attached to the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps.

• 1st Reconnaissance Regiment SLAC
• 3rd Reconnaissance Regiment SLAC
• 5th Reconnaissance Regiment SLAC
• 6th Reconnaissance Regiment SLAC
• 8th Reconnaissance Regiment SLAC

[edit] South African Army

There is only one armoured recce regiment in the South African Army, and it is designated an armoured car reconnaissance regiment.

1. Light Horse Regiment

[edit] New Zealand Army

The New Zealand Army only has one squadron that performs armoured reconnaissance. This is also the only reserve armoured squadron.

1. 4th Waikato Mounted Rifles part of 6th Hauraki Battalion Group

[edit] NATO armies

Excluding Canada and the United Kingdom

[edit] Belgian Army

The Belgian Army has two armoured reconnaissance regiments

1. 1st Regiment Mounted Rifles - Guides
2. 2nd/4th Regiment Mounted Rifles

[edit] Royal Danish Army

There is only one armoured recce regiment in the Danish army.

1. 3rd Battalion, Guard Hussar Regiment (Gardehusarregimentet)

[edit] Royal Netherlands Army

The Dutch Army has one Regiment, the Regiment Huzaren Huzaren van Boreel which was named after Willem Francois Boreel. The Regiment consists out of 4 squadrons. 2 squadrons belong to the ISTAR battalion and the other 2 each belong to 1 of the 2 Netherlands Mechanised Brigades. The difference in organisation between the ISTAR squadrons and the brigade squadrons is that the ISTAR squadrons each have a Tactical Air Control Party for Close Air Support and the 2 brigade squadrons each have an anti-tank platoon which operate with Fennek vehicles with Gill anti-tank weapons. All squadrons are trained to operate completely independently. They have their own logistical support and all patrols have special forces medics for emergencies. The training and operation procedures of all squadrons are very similar although the ISTAR squadrons focus more on long range reconnaissance operations. Recently all squadrons have been on combat operations in the South of Afghanistan.

1. Regiment Huzaren van Boreel