Air Reconnaissance

Question 0

Electronic reconnaissance

Answer 0

Detects, identifies, and evaluates enemy electromagnetic radiation. If the enemy uses electronic means of fire control, navigation communications, or air surveillance, electronic interception equipment can recover enemy signals and determine:
Direction, source, and characteristics
-analyzing the enemies electronic emissions allows:
-update the electronic order of battle (EOB)
-update technical intelligence
-identify the enemies critical nodes
(command posts, force concentrations, and high threat weapon systems)

Question 1

What are the three categories of air reconnaissance

Answer 1

Visual, imagery, electronic

Employed at the strategic, operational, or tactical level of war. A single mission can employ any or all of these three.

Question 2

Visual reconnaissance

Answer 2

Acquires current info on enemy activity, resources, installations, weather, physical characteristics

• flown in response to a specific request however all other missions must report information as deemed necessary
• also support the delivery of offensive fires, supplement operational information concerning friendly forces. The limitation of human vision is susceptible to enemy cover, concealment, and deception techniques.

Question 3

Imagery reconnaissance

Answer 3

Optical and non-optical
Detects and pinpoints the location of enemy installations and facilities and concentrations of enemy forces it also supports to rain analysis. Imagery records from sensors and other collateral equipment in or on the aircraft. To plan and execute MAGTF ops the Marine Corps relies heavily on tactical, theater, and national air reconnaissance assets to support it’s collection requirements.
Optical–video/still images
Non-optical–infrared/radar sensors (all weather)

Question 4

What are the prerequisites of effective air reconnaissance

Answer 4

• Air Superiority
• Suppression of Enemy Air Defense (SEAD)
• Cooperative Weather
• Capable Platforms & Sensors
• Flexible Control

Question 5

Flexible Control

Answer 5

A responsive and flexible command control and communication system is a required to ensure that air recon requests are satisfied in a timely manner
-info flow up & down the chain of command with a simple & redundant back-up plan is the key to successful control

Question 6

Capable platforms & sensors

Answer 6

Need of accurate reconnaissance systems & sensor equipment for both day & night

Question 7

Cooperative weather

Answer 7

Inclement weather causes aircrews & operators to experience prohibitive interference or unacceptable attrition. Low ceilings may force air reconnaissance platforms performing visual & imagery recon to aquire targets “under the weather” & in the heart of the Air Defense Artillary (ADA) envelope
-it adversely affects target acquisition and sensor performance

Question 8

Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD)

Answer 8

• allows friendly aircraft to operate in airspace defended by enemy air defense
• creates a sanctuary within which air reconnaissance aircraft can collect information without prohibitive interference from enemy
• traditional SEAD is an artillery responsibility; however an air reconnaissance mission may be beyond the range of organic artillery and mortars. Therefore to protect the air reconnaissance mission ACE planners must plan for SEAD requirements when IDF assets aren’t available.

Question 9

Air Superority

Answer 9

Allows friendly aircraft to operate without prohibitive interference which can be achieved by conducting aggressive anti-air warfare or offensive counter air operation prior to conducting air reconnaissance or by tasking aircraft to function as fighter escorts during an air reconnaissance operations
-without this enemy can interfere

Question 10

What are the characteristics of the five different groups of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)?

Answer 10

See card

Question 11

Marine Corps Tactical UAS
(MCTAUS)

RQ-7B

Answer 11

-Group 3 System
-2 Officers/51 Enlisted Marines/Corpsman
-mainstay until a group 4 begins fielding operated/maintained by VMU squadrons under MACG
VMU- three shadow detachments supporting MEF.
-to support (4) aircraft
-UAC, AVO, MPO provides intel when analyst is provided

Question 12

Small (SAUS)

RQ-11B Raven (2 operates)
Wasp (1 operator)

Answer 12

• small, hand launched
• provide real time direct reconnaissance in surveillance for target acquisition and force protection at the battalion level and below
• low-cost, over the hill/around the corner situational awareness
• day/night observation. 10 km, 4/BN
• can be assembled in 10 minutes & hand launched
• consist of (3) UA, (1) GCS, (2) Electro-Optical (EO), (2) IR payloads with IR illuminators, & a remote data terminal

Question 13

Small Tactical (STAUS)

RQ-21A

Answer 13

1 Officer/8 enlisted per detachment

• land based–future from amphibious
• MEB level MAGTF support
• day/night air reconnaissance
• intelligence processing, target acquisition, & communication

(4) UA with EO/IR sensors integrated IR pointer communications/data relay package (2) GCSs up to (6) ground vehicles with towed equipment

Question 14

What is the range, endurance, and payload of the RQ-7B shadow

Answer 14

-day/night operations
-Target detection 10 kilometers out
-Target recognition 7 km out
Range is limited to 67 nautical miles and endurance is six hours

4 aircraft
6 HMMWVs
Trailers, generators, launch/recovery equipment

Question 15

What is the element of the MAGTF the RQ – 11B Raven supports

Answer 15

Operates under the cognizance of the air combat element the Raven operates under the staff cognizance of the battalion air officer and is tasked by the ops department S3 in close coordination with the Intel department (S2)
- in support of the company’s tactical air control party (TACP)