Long Range Surveillance

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Modern Long Range Surveillance, or LRS (pronounced lurse. Rhymes with purse), units are specially employed elite surveillance units that are utilised by Military Intelligence for intelligence gathering deep into hostile territories. They fall under a Military Intelligence battalion (strictly, an MI Tactical Exploitation Battalion, or TEB) but are themselves Airborne Infantry units. LRS Units (LRSU) are formulated as either larger LRS Companies (LRSC), comprised of 3 line LRS platoons, or smaller LRS detachments (LRSD), comprised of 1 line LRS platoon. A given line LRS platoon is organized as 6 unsupported LRS teams. Each team of 6 soldiers is comprised of a Staff Sergeant (E-6) as Team Leader (TL), Sergeant (E-5) as Assistant Team Leader (ATL), Senior Radio Operator (SRO), Senior Scout (SSCT), Assistant Radio Operator (ARO), and Assistant Scout (ASCT). LRSU operate up to 150 kilometers (90 for LRSD) behind the Forward Line of Troops (FLOT) a maximum of 8 days. Their 5 primary missions are reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, battle damage assessment, and force protection. Beyond these, they also have many secondary missions to provide general battlefield information to military intelligence sources, such as weather and light data, map data, etc. LRS Units owe their lineage to the LRRPs of the vietnam War and to Army Rangers. Like other elite units, LRS are Airborne, and most leadership positions are filled by Ranger qualified officers and NCOs. Typically, LRS soldiers undergo the Reconnaissance Surveillance Leadership Course (RSLC) at Fort Benning, similarly developing long range land navigation, communications, intelligence, vehicle identification, survival, and operational techniques. LRS team members usually carry the M4 carbine, M203 grenade launcher, and M9 9mm pistol, as well as the typical complement of specialized optics and communications gear.

As part of the Army-wide transfer to Brigade Units of Action, some infantry divisions and separate brigades are transitioning to the RSTA format instead of LRS. RSTA units are similar to LRS, but generally have added light vehicle support in the form of HMMWVs and M3 Bradleys, (due to being commissioned as cavalry), and are often assigned organic UAV platoons along with additional communications and intelligence assets. Furthermore, most RSTA units are not required to be airborne qualified (an exception being 3-325th RSTA of the 82nd Airborne), however many individual troopers in RSTA units are airborne or air assault qualified, and RSTA units often conduct long range air-assault operations. LRS and RSTA troopers are often graduates of the army's elite schools including the U.S. Army Sniper School, SOTIC, Ranger school, SCUBA School, HALO, Scout Swimmer, RSLC and other schools befitting a reconnaissance scout troop.

Also see:

Hjemmevaernets Patruljer - The LRS units of the Danish Armed Forces

and:

Jegerkompaniet (eng: Ranger Company (infantry)) and Fjernoppklaringseskadron (eng: Long Range Reconnaissance Squadron (cavalry)) - The LRS units of the Norwegian Armed Forces