Chapter 8: Reconnaissance
To the OPFOR, the single most important component of military action is reconnaissance. Reconnaissance represents all measures associated with organizing, collecting, and studying information on the operational environment associated with the area of upcoming battles. Aggressive, continuous reconnaissance allows the timely accomplishment of combat missions with minimum losses. Poor reconnaissance can lead directly to failure. The OPFOR commits significant resources to any reconnaissance mission.
Note: Reconnaissance is part of the OPFOR military function called reconnaissance, intelligence, surveillance, and target acquisition (RISTA). RISTA is the combination of capabilities, operations, and activities using all available means to obtain information concerning foreign nations; areas of actual or potential operations; and/or the strength, capabilities, location, status, nature of operations, and intentions of hostile or potentially hostile forces or elements. It includes production of intelligence resulting from the collection, evaluation, analysis, and interpretation of such information. It also includes detection, identification, and location of a target in sufficient detail to permit the effective employment of weapons.