Canadian Forces - Division Reconnaissance Regiment in Operations

[Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Applause] the role of the division reconnaissance regiment is to obtain and report timely information about the enemy and the ground and to provide the basis for the division's battlefield security [Music] command is not concerned the regiment responds to division taskings and reports directly to the division commander the division reconnaissance regiment consists of three heavy reconnaissance squadrons a surveillance squadron and a headquarters squadron each heavy reconnaissance squadron consists of a headquarters three seven vehicle reconnaissance troops two tank troops each with four tanks an apc born support troop with surveillance devices and a limited engineer capability and an administrative troop the surveillance squadron consists of two sensor troops each with five sections mounted in apc's and an administrative troop the headquarters includes two monitoring stations the headquarters squadron includes a logistics troop a maintenance troop an administrative troop and a transport troop the regiment is established at about 750 all ranks it contains approximately 140 tract and 110 wheeled vehicles [Music] [Music] good communications are essential enabling the regimen to carry out its primary function the gathering and transmitting of battlefield information to ensure the rapid passage of information and orders the regiment relies primarily on combat net radio and liaison officers the regimental command net incorporates a secure speech capability it is controlled by the regimental headquarters and is monitored by the squadrons and supporting arms representatives the regimental administrative net is normally run from the headquarters squadron command post and is used to coordinate the regiment's administrative requirements the squadron command nets include all the fighting vehicles of the squadron supporting arms representatives and a1 and a2 echelons the unattended ground sensor data link nets are used to pass information gathered by unattended ground sensors to division headquarters regimental headquarters monitors this net and extracts pertinent information from the data flow the regiment is capable of performing a wide range of tasks in support of division operations some of which require it to be reinforced by attachments from other arms especially artillery engineers and aviation these include reconnaissance surveillance screen guard rear area security and nuclear or chemical monitoring and survey the primary elements involved in reconnaissance tasks are patrols which attempt to discover the location strength and deployment of the enemy his direction and rate of movement they also wrecking ground to determine the suitability of routes crossing sites battle and attack positions and assembly areas surveillance includes the establishment by the reconnaissance and surveillance squadrons of an interlocking network of static observation posts and a ground-based remote sensor system these maintain a continuous watch over designated areas of the battlefield the systems monitor enemy activity across the division front on the flanks in the gaps between brigades when employed as the division covering force the regiment will normally undertake either screen or guard duties in the area between the fiba and the core covering force handover line and if required on the flanks of the division [Applause] as a screen it is involved in reconnaissance and surveillance reporting on the progress of the enemy defining his strengths determining his major axes of advance and destroying his reconnaissance elements screens will normally have artillery and helicopter support to assist with observation and in the extraction of its forward elements when tasked as a guard it is required to report on the enemy's progress to delay by forcing him into premature deployment and to inflict on him the maximum possible casualties this task requires the entire combat power of the regiment and additional combat arms elements which must be placed under the regiment's command [Applause] [Music] the reconnaissance elements are well suited to perform escort duties protecting columns of vehicles from being captured destroyed or scattered [Music] this task is most effectively accomplished when the escort is reinforced with a section of observation helicopters [Music] when employed on traffic control the regiment's reconnaissance elements provide traffic control posts at crossing sites minefields and major d files the regiment would carry out routine monitoring of routes and areas in conjunction with other duties after a nuclear or chemical attack the reconnaissance elements assisted by helicopters would be assigned the task of surveying locations to determine the contamination pattern and to identify the type of chemical agents used by the enemy threat particularly to our rear area [Applause] the regiment's characteristics of mobility firepower and communications make it ideally suited for rear area security duties [Music] in conjunction with other forces it can disrupt or destroy enemy penetrations including helicopter landings and help maintain a free flow of supply traffic by escorting convoys and protecting d files other tasks which may be assigned to the regiment include anti-airborne and anti-air mobile area surveillance raids on guerrilla locations providing security for passage of lines employment as a reserve and economy of force tasks such as holding lightly threatened defensive positions in the division's main defensive area [Music] the division is deploying in preparation for the defensive battle [Music] [Music] the regiment's taskings have been detailed by the division commander these are to provide the division covering force by operating as a screen and after withdrawal to take up rear area security duties in the division's rear area to execute this task a and b squadron have deployed forward of the fiba each with a section of observation helicopters sea squadron has moved into locations to wait as the regiment's reserve the surveillance squadron has deployed to observation locations in difficult terrain and established surveillance forward of the fiba the regimental headquarters has reestablished in a new location and the assigned engineer and artillery elements have married up with the [Music] regiment [Music] fast air sorties allocated in support of the screen will be few in number generally speaking only attack helicopters might be available to support the regiment's forward elements [Applause] as the core covering force which has been operating in the guard role withdraws and comes in contact with the division screen provided by the reconnaissance regiment the handover takes place you might be interested in this it was a platoon and it had two asu-85s with it this involves designated handover lines as well as contact points boundaries report lines reserve demolitions and fiba entry points you know that in the next phase of the the battle the liaison officers are exchanged and the core covering force command net is monitored for timely information positions well and past stability and we're very anxious that the divisional artillery should be two of the regiment's reconnaissance squadrons with their assigned support elements have been allocated to the most likely enemy axis the third squadron is deployed in depth some surveillance elements have been detached to watch over the other approaches as the enemy advances the forward elements withdraw reporting the enemy progress and destroying as much of his reconnaissance forces as possible three bmps one t-80 moving west along backtrack i'm observing request golf one or if the division covering force is tasked as a guard and suitably reinforced with combat arms elements then and only then could it attempt to impose delay on the enemy [Applause] [Music] it does this by occupying a series of blocking positions establish to counter enemy movement through the gaps which occur along the flood these cause attrition force the enemy to pause mount a deliberate attack and deploy additional troops to overcome the resistance offered opportunities may also arise to deliver short sharp attacks against the flanks of enemy groups which are pressing against blocking positions for the screen to define the enemy's main axis of advance sufficient resistance must be presented to force him to concentrate on the axis he wants to develop and then to deploy against what appears to be firm resistance the enemy's main axis will then have been revealed as the division screen approaches the fiba care is needed to ensure an orderly passage through designated main defensive area entry points regimental headquarters exercises and control to avoid congestion at crossing points and to prevent their premature closing pressure will normally be stronger in some areas than in others forcing some of the regiment's elements to cross the fiba at locations other than those originally planned in the meantime the surveillance squadron has established manned and unattended surveillance posts which provide information on the enemy movement along and forward of the fiba these are backed up with observation posts and stay behind parties from the reconnaissance squadrons which continue the information flow and monitor enemy movement behind the fiba throughout the covering force action the regiment remains self-sufficient for its operational needs particularly for the essentials of resupply the squadron a1 echelons stock composite loads so they can service regimental elements at widely scattered locations [Music] the regiment carries the normal three days basic load of combat supplies the reconnaissance squadrons carry additional combat supplies as the forward movement of resupply vehicles will prejudice their concealment repair recovery and casualty evacuations are continuing these are complex problems due to the unit's wide geographic deployment and the rate of change of location of its elements maintenance detachments move with the squadrons a1 echelons they are manned and equipped to perform running repairs and to recover broken or bogged down vehicles beyond the squadron's internal self-help capability [Music] [Music] vehicles requiring repairs beyond the capability of the regiment's maintenance troop are dropped off at equipment collecting points some in-situ repairs are completed by mobile repair teams sent forward from the maintenance battalion casualties are evacuated to the unit medical station or to a nearby medical facility by any available means after withdrawal behind the fiba the regiment will go into harbors where they may be given 12 to 24 hours to replenish and complete the necessary battle damage repairs in preparation for its rear area security task [Music] operating independently from the brigades the division reconnaissance regiment fulfills a distinct function its mobility dedicated communications and firepower allow it to perform a variety of tasks over a broad expanse of the battlefield tasks which in themselves provide ongoing difficulties with control resupply maintenance and casualty evacuation properly employed and supported the reconnaissance regiment can operate as an effective weapon in all phases of the ongoing battle [Music] [Music] you

Channel: A. Ryan

Views: 6,149

Rating: 4.9745221 out of 5

Keywords: Military, CFB, Canadian Forces, History, Recce, RCD, Training, 5 RBC, LDSH, Army, Armoured, Historical, Training Videos, Strathcona, Operation, Canada, Overseas, Dragoon, Exercise

Id: oZcsp4lSDLk

Length: 21min 34sec (1294 seconds)

Published: Sat Oct 03 2020

Reddit Comments

[u/looksharp1984]

Wow, I don't think we have even had a proper division recce element since the war...

[u/Richards_D]

Also how did we have these great (but arugably dated now) videos, without even internet, and now our PA presence seems to be less than this?

[u/Chamber-Rat]

Love the music. Have not heard “My Boy Willie” in years.

[u/LuckyRaptor21]

Was this video shot in recent years? I recognize that we still use most of these equipments