Reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA) squadrons are a type of unit in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

. These are

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

squadrons (though in IBCTs they typically contain at least one dismounted infantry troop), and act at the squadron (

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...

) level as a reconnaissance unit for their parent brigade combat teams. These RSTA squadrons continue on the Recondo legacy of the Vietnam era Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols (LRRP), however, compared to the LRRPs they are often assigned additional non-reconnaissance responsibilities such as battlespace ownership. Additionally, RSTA is a doctrine that groups the tasks of

reconnaissance In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconnai ...

surveillance Surveillance is the monitoring of behavior, many activities, or information for the purpose of information gathering, influencing, managing, or directing. This can include observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment, such as ...

and

target acquisition Target acquisition is the detection and identification of the location of a target in sufficient detail to permit the effective employment of lethal and non-lethal means. The term is used for a broad area of applications. A "target" here is an e ...

conducted by the

Department of Defense (United States) The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and superv ...

. RSTA supports military operations at a

strategic Strategy (from Greek στρατηγία ''stratēgia'', "troop leadership; office of general, command, generalship") is a general plan to achieve one or more long-term or overall goals under conditions of uncertainty. In the sense of the "art o ...

(national defense policy), operational (theater level), or tactical (individual unit) level, either by dedicated RSTA forces or those which possess the capability.

The RSTA squadron

As part of its modernization and reorganization plan, the US Army has transitioned to the use of a modular

brigade combat team The brigade combat team (BCT) is the basic Military deployment, deployable Military unit, unit of maneuver in the United States Army, U.S. Army. A brigade combat team consists of one combat arms branch maneuver Brigade (United States Army), b ...

(BCT) scheme. For each of its three main types of BCTs, whether an infantry brigade combat team (IBCT), armored brigade combat team (ABCT), or

Stryker The Stryker is a family of Eight-wheel drive, eight-wheeled armored fighting vehicles derived from the Canadian LAV III. Stryker vehicles are produced by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada (GDLS-C) for the United States Army in a plant in L ...

brigade combat team (SBCT), there is a reconnaissance squadron which is tasked with performing reconnaissance and security missions for the BCT.FM 3–20.96 Reconnaissance and Cavalry Squadron
Department of the Army. May 2016. Ch. 1 Sec. 1 Related to these units were reconnaissance and surveillance squadrons, which operated as part of

battlefield surveillance brigade The battlefield surveillance brigade (BfSB) was a United States Army surveillance/reconnaissance formation introduced from 2006 to 2015. The United States Army planned for the creation and transformation of nine intelligence brigades to a 'batt ...

s; however since 2015 all BfSBs have been converted into expeditionary military intelligence brigades or inactivated. The primary task of the RSTA squadron is to carry out reconnaissance and security missions for its parent BCT or for higher commands, whether as part of offensive or defensive operations. Reconnaissance missions can include

area Area is the measure of a region's size on a surface. The area of a plane region or ''plane area'' refers to the area of a shape or planar lamina, while '' surface area'' refers to the area of an open surface or the boundary of a three-di ...

route Route or routes may refer to: * Air route, route structure or airway * GPS route, a series of one or more GPS waypoints * Route (gridiron football), a path run by a wide receiver * Route (command), a program used to configure the routing table * ...

zone Zone, Zones or The Zone may refer to: Places Military zones * Zone, any of the divisions of France during the World War II German occupation * Zone, any of the divisions of Germany during the post-World War II Allied occupation * Korean Demilit ...

, and

reconnaissance-in-force In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconnai ...

. Security missions can include screening (whether stationary or mobile), guard, cover, area security and local security. When necessary, the squadron can be augmented with additional forces to help in carrying out its missions.

ABCT squadron

The ABCT cavalry squadron is composed of a headquarters troop, two cavalry troops (transitioning to three cavalry troops), an armored company, and a forward support company attached from the

brigade support battalion A brigade support battalion (BSB) is a combat service support battalion of the United States Army. A BSB is an organic part of a brigade combat team (BCT), providing self- sustainment to the BCT for up to 72 hours of high-intensity combat before ...

.FM 3–20.96 Reconnaissance and Cavalry Squadron. Department of the Army. May 2016. Ch. 1 Sec. 3 *The headquarters troop includes a command group, the troop headquarters section, the squadron primary staff, a medical platoon, an attached fire support cell, and a tactical air control party. Total strength includes 149 personnel, two

Bradley Fighting Vehicle The Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) is an American continuous track, tracked armored fighting vehicle of the United States developed by FMC Corporation and now manufactured by BAE Systems Land & Armaments, formerly United Defense. It is named for ...

s, three M577A1 Command Post Carriers, two M577A1 Medical Treatment Vehicles, eight M113A3 Ambulances, fourteen

HMMWV The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV; colloquial: Humvee) is a family of Military light utility vehicle, light, four-wheel drive Military vehicle#Military trucks, military trucks and utility vehicles produced by AM General. It ...

s, and six FMTVs, with appropriate equipment carried in additional trailers.The U.S. Military’s Force Structure: A Primer
Congressional Budget Office. June 2016. Chapter 2 - Army Armored Brigade Combat Teams *Each cavalry troop consists of a headquarters section, two scout platoons, and a mortar section. The headquarters section includes the troop commander,

executive officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer ...

first sergeant First sergeant is typically a senior non-commissioned officer rank, used in many countries. Singapore First sergeant is a Specialist (Singapore), specialist in the Singapore Armed Forces. First sergeants are the most senior of the junior spe ...

, unit supply, and attached fire support team and combat medics. Each scout platoon consists of three

M3 Bradley The M3 Bradley cavalry fighting vehicle (CFV) is an American tracked Armoured reconnaissance, armored reconnaissance vehicle manufactured by BAE Systems Platforms & Services (formerly United Defense). A member of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle ...

vehicles (each carrying two

scouts Scouting or the Scout Movement is a youth social movement, movement which became popularly established in the first decade of the twentieth century. It follows the Scout method of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activi ...

) and five HMMWVs equipped with long-range multisensor systems, with plans to transition each troop to have six M3 vehicles. The mortar section has two 120-mm mortars and a fire direction center. Total strength for each cavalry troop includes 93 personnel, seven Bradley vehicles, eleven HMMWVs, two M1064 mortar carriers, an

M113 Armored Personnel Carrier The M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier (APC) that was developed and produced by the FMC Corporation. The M113 was sent to United States Army Europe in 1961 to replace the mechanized infantry's M59 armored personnel carrier, M59 A ...

, an M577A1 Command Post Carrier, and an FMTV. *The armor company consists of a headquarters element and three tank platoons. The headquarters consists of two tanks commanded by the company commander and executive officer, with attached fire support team and combat medics. Total strength includes 62 personnel, fourteen

M1 Abrams The M1 Abrams () is a third-generation American main battle tank designed by Chrysler Defense (now General Dynamics Land Systems) and named for General Creighton Abrams. Conceived for modern armored ground warfare, it is one of the heavies ...

, an M577A1 Command Post Carrier, two HMMWVs and an FMTV. The ABCT Cavalry squadron can fight against comparable armor forces, including tanks and other armored fighting vehicles, in order to conduct its missions. However it has significant logistical and maintenance requirements and the use of different vehicle types creates a mix in survivability between platforms. The limited number of scout platoons reduces the size of the area the troop can operate in.

IBCT squadron

The IBCT cavalry squadron includes a headquarters troop, two mounted cavalry troops, and a

dismounted reconnaissance troop A dismounted reconnaissance troop (DRT) is a reconnaissance unit found within U.S. Army RSTA squadrons that are part of infantry brigade combat teams (IBCTs). While a RSTA squadron serves as the primary reconnaissance element for its parent ...

. A forward support company will also be attached from the brigade support battalion for sustainment purposes. In squadrons supporting an airborne brigade combat team, 100% of the RSTA soldiers are

qualified Qualification may refer to: Processes * Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS), a competitive contract procurement process established by the United States Congress * Process qualification, ensures that manufacturing and production processes can ...

paratrooper A paratrooper or military parachutist is a soldier trained to conduct military operations by parachuting directly into an area of operations, usually as part of a large airborne forces unit. Traditionally paratroopers fight only as light infa ...

s. *The headquarters troop includes a command group, the troop headquarters section, the squadron primary staff, a medical platoon, an attached fire support cell, and a tactical air control party. Total strength includes 130 personnel, seventeen HMMWVs, ten M997 Ambulances, three

M1117 armored security vehicle The M1117 armored security vehicle (ASV; nicknamed Guardian) is an internal security vehicle based on the Cadillac Gage Commando, V-100 and V-150 Commando series of Armored car (military), armored cars. It was developed in the late 1990s for ser ...

s, and five FMTVs, with appropriate equipment carried in additional trailers.The U.S. Military’s Force Structure: A Primer. Congressional Budget Office. June 2016. Chapter 2 - Army Infantry Brigade Combat Teams *Each mounted cavalry troop consists of a headquarters section, three scout platoons and a mortar section. The headquarters section includes the troop commander, executive officer, first sergeant, unit supply, and attached fire support team and combat medics. Each scout platoon has two HMMWVs, each with a crew of three of which one is available for dismounted scouting. The scout platoons are equipped with six M220 TOW-2 anti-armor systems firing the

BGM-71 TOW The BGM-71 TOW ("Tube-launched, Optically tracked, wire-guided missile, Wire-guided", pronounced ) is an American anti-tank missile. TOW replaced much smaller missiles like the SS.10 and ENTAC, offering roughly twice the effective range, a more ...

missile backed up by

FGM-148 Javelin The FGM-148 Javelin, or Advanced Anti-Tank Weapon System-Medium (AAWS-M), is an American-made man-portable anti-tank system in service since 1996 and continuously upgraded. It replaced the M47 Dragon anti-tank missile in US service. Its fire-and-f ...

anti-tank missiles; four of the six HMMWVs are also equipped with the

Long-Range Advanced Scout Surveillance System Long Range may refer to: *Long range shooting, a collective term for shooting at such long distances that various atmospheric conditions becomes equally important as pure shooting skills * Long Range Aviation, branches of the armed forces responsi ...

. The mortar section consists of two HMMWV-towed 120mm mortars and a fire direction center. Total strength includes 92 personnel, nine HMMWVs, and two FMTVs. *The dismounted reconnaissance troop includes a headquarters section, two scout platoons, a mortar section, a sniper squad and attached fire support team; it can also include up to eight two-man dismounted forward observer teams. Unlike the other troops, the DRT is an infantry element, though task-organized as cavalry (e.g. a "

troop A troop is a military sub-subunit, originally a small formation of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron. In many armies a troop is the equivalent element to the infantry section or platoon. Exceptions are the US Cavalry and the King's Troo ...

"). The headquarters section includes the troop commander, executive officer, first sergeant, unit supply, and attached fire support team and combat medics. Each scout platoon is divided into three sections, while the sniper squad consists of a squad leader, two three-man sniper teams, and an HMMWV. The dismounted reconnaissance troop is a specialized unit with air and water assets to allow for clandestine infiltration. The mortar section consists of a six-man 60mm mortar section that can be split into two sections and is attached to either of the two scout platoons or the headquarters section, plus a fire direction center. Due to the numerous ‘F7’ coded

Pathfinder Pathfinder, Path Finder or Pathfinders may refer to: Aerospace * ''Mars Pathfinder'', a NASA Mars Lander * NASA Pathfinder, a high-altitude, solar-powered uncrewed aircraft * Space Shuttle ''Pathfinder'', a Space Shuttle test simulator Arts and ...

slots and trained personnel, the DRT is often used as the squadron and brigade’s pathfinder element. While largely lacking organic transport, the dismounted reconnaissance troop is easily deployable from both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. Total strength includes 79 personnel, four HMMWVs and an FMTV. The DRT also has a Raven unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) which is typically used to support either of the two scout platoons or to surveil a separate named area of interest; some DRTs have utilized other platform such as the Instant Eye sUAS. The IBCT Cavalry squadron is able to support its parent unit through the combination of the firepower and mobility offered by its mounted forces and the ability to operate in complex and difficult terrain with its dismounted forces. However the mix of mounted and dismounted troops creates a mismatch in maneuvering ability and may require augmentation with additional transportation resources. In 2024, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) began prototype testing of the mobile brigade combat team (MBCT) concept; in which the RSTA squadron's dismounted reconnaissance troop was reflagged as a Multifunctional Reconnaissance Company (MFRC). In comparison to the DRT, the MFRC has fewer snipers but more UAS and cUAS assets, as well as an organic air-defense capability in the form of a

Stinger A stinger (or sting) is a sharp organ found in various animals (typically insects and other arthropods) capable of injecting venom, usually by piercing the epidermis of another animal. An insect sting is complicated by its introduction of ve ...

team.

SBCT squadron

The SBCT cavalry squadron includes a headquarters troop and three cavalry troops, along with a forward support company attached from the brigade support battalion. *The headquarters troop includes a command group, the troop headquarters section, the squadron primary staff, a medical platoon, an attached fire support cell, and a tactical air control party. Total strength includes 131 personnel, six Stryker CVs, fifteen HMMWVs, and seven FMTVs, with appropriate equipment carried in additional trailers.The U.S. Military’s Force Structure: A Primer. Congressional Budget Office. June 2016. Chapter 2 - Army Stryker Brigade Combat Teams *Each cavalry troop consists of a headquarters section, two scout platoons and a mortar section. The headquarters section includes the troop commander, executive officer, first sergeant, unit supply, and attached fire support team and combat medics. Each scout platoon has four Stryker RVs (with plans to transition to six Stryker RVs) and four FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missiles. The mortar section consists of two Stryker MCVs and a fire direction center. Total strength includes 92 personnel, one Stryker CV, thirteen Stryker RVs, two Stryker MCVs, and two FTMVs. The SBCT cavalry squadron can cover a large area thanks to its three cavalry troops equipped with extremely mobile Stryker vehicles. The squadron is limited though in its ability to conduct dismounted reconnaissance or engage enemy armor units. The four-vehicle cavalry troops also face additional risks during route reconnaissance as individual Strykers are forced to reconnoiter lateral routes and terrain adjacent to the route. RSTA line troops are a mix of 19D (

cavalry scout Cavalry Scout is the job title of someone who has achieved the military occupational specialty of 19D Armored Reconnaissance Specialist in the Combat Arms branch of the United States Army. As with all enlisted soldiers in the United States Caval ...

) and 11B (

Infantryman Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

) MOS's, which serve as scouts and snipers. Also included are 11C ( Indirect Fire Infantryman), which operate a 60 mm

M224 Mortar The M224 60 mm Lightweight Company Mortar System (LWCMS) is a smoothbore, muzzle-loading, high-angle-of-fire mortar used for close-in support of ground troops. It was deployed extensively in the War in Afghanistan by the United States mili ...

Section, as well as various intelligence and communications soldiers. The dismounted reconnaissance troops consist of 11Bs in the scout platoons and sniper section; 11Cs in the mortar section; and 11Bs, 25Cs ( Radio Operator-Maintainers), 74Ds (

CBRN Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense (CBRN defense) or Nuclear, biological, and chemical protection (NBC protection) is a class of protective measures taken in situations where chemical, biological, radiological, or nucl ...

Specialists), and 92Ys (

Supply Supply or supplies may refer to: *The amount of a resource that is available **Supply (economics), the amount of a product which is available to customers **Materiel, the goods and equipment for a military unit to fulfill its mission *Supply, as ...

Specialists) in the headquarters section, led by 11A officers and an 11Z 1SG. Common training pipelines include the Reconnaissance and Surveillance Leaders Course (RSLC), Cavalry Leader's Course, sniper school,

Ranger school The Ranger School is a 62-day United States Army small unit tactics and leadership course that develops functional skills directly related to units whose mission is to engage the enemy in close combat and direct fire battles. Ranger training w ...

, pathfinder school, and in applicable IBCTs, air assault school and

airborne school The United States Army Airborne School—widely known as Jump School—conducts the basic paratrooper (military parachutist) training for the United States Armed Forces. It is operated by the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 507th Infantry, United S ...

RSTA units in the United States Army

Active Component RSTA Cavalry Units

* 1st Cavalry ** 1-1st Cavalry, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss ** 2–1st Cavalry, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson ** 5–1st Cavalry, 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division, Fort Wainwright ** 6–1st Cavalry, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss ** 8–1st Cavalry, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis * 2nd Cavalry ** 4–2nd Cavalry, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany * 3rd Cavalry Regiment ** 4-3rd Cavalry, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas * 4th Cavalry ** 1–4th Cavalry, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley ** 3–4th Cavalry, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii ** 5–4th Cavalry, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley * 7th Cavalry ** 1–7th Cavalry, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood ** 3–7th Cavalry, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart **~~4–7th Cavalry, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Korea~~ (Rotational ABCTs, now take over the role of 4-7 every 9 months. It only exists on paper) ** 5–7th Cavalry, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart * 8th Cavalry ** 6–8th Cavalry, 4th Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart *

9th Cavalry The 9th Cavalry Regiment is a parent cavalry regiment of the United States Army. Historically, it was one of the Army's four segregated African-American regiments and was part of what was known as the Buffalo Soldiers. The regiment saw combat d ...

** 4–9th Cavalry, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood ** 6–9th Cavalry, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood * 10th Cavalry ** 4–10th Cavalry, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson *

13th Cavalry In music or music theory, a thirteenth is the note thirteen scale degrees from the root of a chord and also the interval between the root and the thirteenth. The thirteenth is most commonly major or minor . A thirteenth chord is the ...

** 1–13th Cavalry, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss ** 2-13th Cavalry, 4th Arnored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss *

14th Cavalry The 14th Cavalry Regiment is a cavalry regiment of the United States Army. It has two squadrons that provide RSTA, reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition for Stryker brigade combat teams. Constituted in 1901, it has served in conf ...

** 1–14th Cavalry, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis ** 2–14th Cavalry, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks * 32nd Cavalry ** 1–32nd Cavalry, 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky * 33rd Cavalry ** 1–33rd Cavalry, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky * 40th Cavalry ** 1–40th Cavalry, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska * 61st Cavalry ** 1–61st Cavalry, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky ** 3–61st Cavalry, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado * 71st Cavalry ** 1–71st Cavalry, 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York ** 3–71st Cavalry, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York * 73rd Cavalry ** 1–73rd Cavalry, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina ** 3–73rd Cavalry, 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina ** 5–73rd Cavalry, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina * 75th Cavalry ** 1–75th Cavalry, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky (Created out of 3rd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment) * 89th Cavalry ** 1–89th Cavalry, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York ** 3–89th Cavalry, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Polk, Louisiana * 91st Cavalry ** 1–91st Cavalry, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Grafenwoehr, Germany

Army National Guard RSTA Cavalry Units

* 18th Cavalry ** 1st Squadron, 18th Cavalry (RSTA), 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team,

California Army National Guard The California Army National Guard (CA ARNG) is one of three components of the California National Guard, a reserve of the United States Army, and part of the United States National Guard, National Guard of the United States. The California Army ...

* 82nd Cavalry ** 1st Squadron, 82nd Cavalry (RSTA), 41st Brigade Combat Team, Oregon Army National Guard
94th Cavalry Regiment
** 1st Squadron, 94th Cavalry (RSTA), 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard * 101st Cavalry ** 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry (RSTA), 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team,

New York Army National Guard The New York Army National Guard is a component of the New York National Guard and the Army National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the United States Army's available combat forces and approximate ...

* 102nd Cavalry ** 1st Squadron, 102nd Cavalry (RSTA), 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 42nd Infantry Division

New Jersey Army National Guard The New Jersey Army National Guard consists of more than 6,000 Citizen-Soldiers. The New Jersey Army National Guard is currently engaged in multiple worldwide and homeland missions. Units have deployed to Iraq, Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan, Jord ...

(formerly 2nd Battalion, 102nd Armor) * 104th Cavalry ** 2nd Squadron, 104th Cavalry (RSTA), 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division,

Pennsylvania Army National Guard The Pennsylvania Army National Guard, abbreviated PAARNG, is part of the United States Army National Guard and is based in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Together with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, it is directed by the Pennsylv ...

* 105th Cavalry ** 1st Squadron, 105th Cavalry (RSTA), 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team,

Wisconsin Army National Guard The Wisconsin Army National Guard has dual state and federal roles, and is jointly funded and maintained by both governments. Its federal mission is to provide trained units to the United States Army in time of war or national emergency. Its sta ...

formerly 2–128th Infantry (2001–2007) and 632nd Armor (1963–2001) * 106th Cavalry ** 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry (RSTA), 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team,

Illinois Army National Guard The Illinois Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. With the Illinois Air National Guard it forms the Illinois National Guard. National coordination of various state National Guard unit ...

* 107th Cavalry ** 2nd Squadron, 107th Cavalry (RSTA), 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team,

Ohio Army National Guard The Ohio Army National Guard is a part of the Ohio National Guard and the Army National Guard of the United States Army. It is also a component of the organized militia of the state of Ohio, which also includes the Ohio Naval Militia, the Ohio M ...

* 108th Cavalry ** 1st Squadron, 108th Cavalry (RSTA), 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Georgia Army National Guard (formerly 1–108th Armor) ** 2nd Squadron, 108th Cavalry (RSTA), 256th Infantry Brigade,

Louisiana Army National Guard The Louisiana Army National Guard (; ) is a component of the Louisiana National Guard, and the state's reserve force within the United States Army. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal ...

(formerly 1-156th AR) headquartered in

Shreveport Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, third-most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, Lo ...

** 3rd Squadron, 108th Cavalry Reconnaissance & Surveillance (R&S), 560th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, Georgia Army National Guard (reflagged as 3-121st Infantry with the disbanding of the 560th BSB) * 112th Cavalry ** 1st Squadron, 112th Cavalry (RSTA), 72nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 36th Infantry Division, Texas Army National Guard * 113th Cavalry Regiment ** 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry (RSTA), 34th Infantry Division, Iowa Army National Guard * 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team ** 2nd Squadron, 116th Cavalry, 116th Cavalry (Heavy) Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division,

Idaho Army National Guard The Idaho Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one thir ...

* 124th Cavalry "MARS MEN" ** 1st Squadron, 124th Cavalry (RSTA), 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 36th Infantry Division, Waco, TX "Out Front" (not to be confused with 1–124th Inf, FLARNG) ** 3rd Squadron, 124th Cavalry (R&S),
71st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade The 71st Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade (EMIB) is a unit of the Texas Army National Guard. The formation traces its history to elements of the 36th Infantry Division. The 71st was previously a Battlefield Surveillance Brigades (BfSB ...
, Wylie, TX (formerly 1–112th Armor Regiment, 36th Infantry Division) unit was deactivated 8 July 2017. * 126th Cavalry ** 1st Squadron, 126th Cavalry (RSTA), 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 38th Infantry Division, Wyoming, MI "HUNTERS" *

134th Cavalry 134th may refer to: *134th (2/1st Hampshire) Brigade, formation of the Territorial Force of the British Army * 134th (Loyal Limerick) Regiment of Foot, infantry regiment of the British Army, created in 1794 and disbanded in 1796 * 134th Air Refueli ...

** 1st Squadron, 134th Cavalry (R&S), 67th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade,

Nebraska Army National Guard The Nebraska Army National Guard is a group of Army National Guard units in the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Adjutant General for these units is Major General (United States), Major General Craig W. Strong, who assumed his new duties in July 2023. ...

* 150th Cavalry ** 1st Squadron, 150th Cavalry (RSTA),

30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team The 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team (30th ABCT or "Old Hickory") is a modular heavy brigade of the United States Army National Guard. 30th ABCT relieved 3rd ABCT/4ID in Kuwait, 1 November 2019. They returned to the U.S. in September 2020 and wer ...

, West Virginia Army National Guard * 151st Cavalry ** 1st Squadron, 151st Cavalry,

39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team The 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (39th IBCT), also officially known as The Arkansas Brigade, is an infantry brigade combat team of the Army National Guard composed of personnel from the U.S. states of Arkansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. The un ...

Arkansas National Guard The Arkansas National Guard (ARNG), commonly known as the Arkansas Guard, is a component of the Politics and government of Arkansas, Government of Arkansas and the National Guard of the United States. It is composed of Arkansas Army National Guar ...

(previously 3–153rd infantry) * 152nd Cavalry ** 1st Squadron, 152nd Cavalry (RSTA), 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Indiana Army National Guard (previously 1–151 Inf) ** 2nd Squadron, 152nd Cavalry (R&S), 219th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, Indiana Army National Guard * 153d Cavalry ** 1st Squadron, 153rd Cavalry, 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team,

Florida Army National Guard The Florida Army National Guard is Florida's component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. In the United States, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the federal army's available combat forces ...

(previously 3–124th Infantry) *** The dismounted reconnaissance troop of 1-153 CAV is Troop C, (formerly A Co. 3/124th Infantry). * 158th Cavalry **1st Squadron, 158th Cavalry (R&S), 58th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade,
Maryland Army National Guard The Maryland Army National Guard (MD ARNG) is the United States Army component of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is headquartered at the old Fifth Regiment Armory at the intersection of North Howard Street, 29th Division Street, near Martin Lut ...
. (formerly 1-158th Cavalry (RSTA), 58th Brigade Combat Team, 29th Infantry Division); unit was inactivated on 7 November 2015. * 167th Cavalry ** 1st Squadron, 167th Cavalry, 34th Infantry Division,
Nebraska Army National Guard The Nebraska Army National Guard is a group of Army National Guard units in the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Adjutant General for these units is Major General (United States), Major General Craig W. Strong, who assumed his new duties in July 2023. ...
. 1-167th Cavalry was reorganized into the 1st Squadron, 134th Cavalry (R&S) in 2008. * 172nd Cavalry ** 1st Squadron, 172nd Cavalry (RSTA), 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain),

Vermont Army National Guard The Vermont National Guard is composed of the Vermont Army National Guard and the Vermont Air National Guard. Together, they are collectively known as the Green Mountain Boys. Both units use the original Revolutionary War-era Flag of the Green Mo ...

. * 182nd Cavalry ** 1st Squadron, 182nd Cavalry (RSTA), 26th Infantry Division, Massachusetts Army National Guard; 26th subsequently inactivated, lineage perpetuated by the 26th BCT, 29th Infantry Division, later 26th BCT, 42nd Infantry Division, then reorganized and redesignated as the 26th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, consisting of a mix of support units. * 183rd Cavalry ** 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry (RSTA),

116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team The 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is an infantry brigade combat team currently assigned to the Virginia Army National Guard, formerly known as the 1st Brigade, 29th Infantry Division; it is the largest command of the Virginia Army National ...

, 29th Infantry Division, Virginia Army National Guard (formerly 3rd Battalion, 111th ADA) * 263rd Cavalry ** 1st Squadron, 263rd Cavalry (RSTA), 218th Brigade Combat Team (M) South Carolina Army National Guard (Brigade reorganized as the 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, a mix of engineer, military police and chemical units.) * 278th Cavalry ** 3rd Squadron, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment,

Tennessee Army National Guard The Tennessee Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. It is administered by the Tennessee Military Department. National coordination of various state National Guard units are maintained ...

* 299th Cavalry ** 1st Squadron, 299th Cavalry Regiment,

Hawaii Army National Guard The Hawaii Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard The National Guard is a U.S. state, state-based military force that becomes part of the United States Armed Forces, U.S. military's ...

(formerly the 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry Regiment) * 303rd Cavalry ** 1st Squadron, 303rd Cavalry Regiment,

Washington Army National Guard The Washington Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the Washington National Guard based in Washington (state), Washington. The history of the Washington Army National Guard dates back to 1854 with formation of the Wash ...

(formerly Troop E, 303rd Cavalry Regiment)

RSTA as a doctrine

According to JP 3-55, RSTA operations are concerned not only with the collection of

military intelligence Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis List of intelligence gathering disciplines, approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist Commanding officer, commanders in decision making pr ...

, but ensuring that it is accurate, relevant, and distributed in a timely manner to the appropriate user. This includes maintaining

operational security Operations security (OPSEC) is a process that identifies critical information to determine whether friendly actions can be observed by enemy intelligence, determines if information obtained by adversaries could be interpreted to be useful to th ...

(OPSEC) so that critical information cannot be exploited by an opposing force. Likewise, RSTA can play a role in operational deception (OPDEC) operations to confuse opposing forces. Across the strategic, operational and tactical level, RSTA operations fall within three areas:

Indications and warnings

Indications and warnings (I&W) are "intelligence activities intended to detect and report time-sensitive intelligence information on foreign developments that could involve a threat to the United States or allied and/or coalition military, political, or economic interests or to US citizens abroad." On a strategic and operational level, RSTA operations 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.

Planning and employment

Strategically, RSTA planning and employment operations are used to support the planning of military operations, by monitoring foreign nations' 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 The Single Integrated Operational Plan (SIOP) was the United States' general plan for nuclear war from 1961 to 2003. The SIOP gave the President of the United States a range of targeting options, and described launch procedures and target sets ag ...

, 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 data 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 ( and in some cases, elimination), and real-time intelligence and surveillance.

Assessment

At all three levels of command, RSTA units provide combat assessment before, during and after military operations. This includes tasks such as bomb damage assessment or determining if an OPDEC mission has succeeded. RSTA assessment can help to decide if a military operation was successful in achieving its objectives, whether additional resources need to be directed to complete the objectives or if they can be redirected to another operation.

References

External links

Armor: The RSTA Squadron

JP 3–55 Doctrine for Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition Support for Joint Operations ( Full PDF)

Organizing for the Future: The Army's Objective Force Cavalry Squadron
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reconnaissance, Surveillance, And Target Acquisition (United States) United States Department of Defense doctrine Cavalry units and formations of the United States Army Reconnaissance units and formations of the United States Army Army reconnaissance units and formations