Armoured reconnaissance is the combination of terrestrial reconnaissance with armoured warfare by soldiers using tanks and wheeled or tracked armoured reconnaissance vehicles. While the mission of reconnaissance is to gather intelligence about the enemy with the use of reconnaissance vehicles, armoured reconnaissance adds the ability to fight for information, and to have an effect on and to shape the enemy through the performance of traditional armoured tasks.
Armoured reconnaissance units
Australia
In the Australian Army the main reconnaissance vehicle is the ASLAV armoured scout car, 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 variant of the Land Rover Perentie. Armoured reconnaissance regiments in the Australian Army Regular
The Belgian Army has two armoured reconnaissance regiments
1st Regiment Mounted Rifles – Guides
2nd/4th Regiment Mounted Rifles
Canada
In the Canadian Army, formation reconnaissance is normally primarily conducted by divisional armoured regiments that gather and fight for information, as well as performing more traditional armour tasks such as seizing, penetrating, and exploiting. There has not been a divisional armoured reconnaissance regiment in Canada since 1992. While there are no armoured reconnaissance regiments in the Regular Force in the present day, each Regular Force armoured regiment does provide a formation armoured reconnaissance squadron equipped with armoured cars to each mechanised brigade. Lord Strathcona's Horse is a tank-heavy regiment with two squadrons of tanks and one squadron of armoured cars, while both the Royal Canadian Dragoons and the 12e Régiment blindé du Canada are armoured car-heavy regiments, with three armoured car squadrons each and one shared tank squadron. Although the Reserve Force regiments continue to be known as armoured reconnaissance regiments, since the loss of the medium tank from their organisation, they have in reality only been employed in the light reconnaissance role. Armoured reconnaissance regiments in the Reserve Force.
Recce-Squadron, disband in 2000 Bornholms Værn. On the island of Bornholm
Germany
In 2005 the reconnaissance units of the German Army were restructured. The former Panzeraufklärungstruppe, Fernspähtruppe , Feldnachrichtentruppe and UAV units of the Artillerietruppe haven been combined to the new Heeresaufklärungstruppe. Now the German Army is operating five reconnaissance battalions and five independent companies:
Armoured Reconnaissance
* Aufklärungslehrkompanie 90, Munster
* Aufklärungskompanie 210, Augustdorf
Long Range Reconnaissance
* Fernspählehrkompanie 200, Pfullendorf
Airborne Reconnaissance
* Luftlandeaufklärungskompanie 260, Zweibrücken
* Luftlandeaufklärungskompanie 310, Seedorf
Reconnaissance Bataillons:
Aufklärungslehrbataillon 3, Lüneburg
Aufklärungsbataillon 6, Eutin
Aufklärungsbataillon 8, Freyung
Aufklärungsbataillon 13, Gotha
Gebirgsaufklärungsbataillon 230, Füssen
Reserve units:
Aufklärungsbataillon 910, Gotha
Aufklärungsbataillon 911, Füssen
Aufklärungsbataillon 912, Lüneburg
Every Battalion is structured in four companies: 1. HQ & Support Company 2. Armoured Reconnaissance Company 3. Light Reconnaissance Company 4. UAV Company
Ghana
's Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment is the oldest armoured unit in the Ghanaian Army. It was formed at the country's independence in 1957 and consists of two squadrons. The regiment has served with distinction in various African peacekeeping missions, and is partly equipped with EE-9 Cascavel and Ratel-90 armoured cars.
1st Ghanaian Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment
Kenya
The Kenyan Army has a single armoured reconnaissance battalion, equipped mainly with Panhard AML-90 armoured cars.
76 ARB
Netherlands
The Dutch Army has one regiment, the Regiment Huzaren van Boreel which was named after Willem Francois Boreel. The Regiment consists of 4 squadrons: 2 squadrons belong to the ISTAR battalion and the other 2 each belonging 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 FST section. All squadrons are trained to operate completely independently. They have their own logistical support and all patrols have communication specialists and special forces medics for emergencies. The training and operation procedures of all squadrons are very similar although the ISTAR squadrons focus more on missions not from brigade but from national command. All squadrons have been on combat operations in the south of Afghanistan.
New Zealand
The New Zealand Army only has one squadron that performs armoured reconnaissance. This is also the only reserve armoured squadron.
There is only one dedicated armoured reconnaissance regiment in the South African Army, the Light Horse Regiment, and it is considered an armoured car unit. The regiment, which has its roots in the British South African Light Horse, was initially equipped with Ferret scout cars. Following the aggressive nature of South African reconnaissance doctrine, the lightly armed Ferret was replaced first by the Eland Mk7 and after 1991 the Rooikat, which were heavier vehicles equipped with large-calibre cannon.
Light Horse Regiment
United Kingdom
In the British Army armoured reconnaissance units carry out "formation reconnaissance" for higher level formations. In the British Army these Formation reconnaissance regiments are usually providing reconnaissance for 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 Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance – CVR – family. Some of the armoured regiments of the British Army are known as formation reconnaissance instead of armoured. Formation reconnaissance regiments in the British Army
Each brigade combat team in the Army has an organic reconnaissance squadron assigned to it. Each heavy brigade combat team has an armored reconnaissance squadron consisting of three reconnaissance troops and an unmanned aerial vehicle troop. The reconnaissance troops have two reconnaissance platoons with five M1114 HMMWVs and three M3 Cavalry Fighting Vehicles. Stryker BCTs include a Stryker-vehicle-based reconnaissance squadron. There are more than 30 cavalry reconnaissance squadrons in the US Army. incomplete list:
