Many armies still field large fleets of light armoured and soft-skinned vehicles dedicated to the battlefield reconnaissance role. But what do these assets bring to the table in a combat environment where uncrewed and remote sensor nodes proliferate?

Reconnaissance has been an essential battlefield activity since the dawn of organised warfare. One definition describes it as ‘a military examination to locate an enemy or to ascertain an enemy or ascertain strategic features’.

This analysis article originally appeared in December's Decisive Edge Land Warfare Newsletter.

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In the relatively recent past this work was carried out at a tactical level by a variety of land platforms ranging from Jeeps or similar 4x4s up to dedicated armoured fighting vehicles (AFV) which could be tracked or wheeled.

Until well into the 20th century the main sensor used was the legendary ‘Mark 1 Eyeball’ which, while good for many tasks, has limited capabilities across a 24-hour mission and can only see so far.

Soon infrared (IR) devices became more widely fielded and today a typical reconnaissance vehicle will have not only day/thermal cameras but also a laser rangefinder and increasingly a laser target designator.

It also needs a navigation system plus an effective communications suite to enable information to be rapidly passed up the chain of command or, increasingly, shared with other platforms, with the crew having flat panel displays showing their own position and those of enemy forces.

The dedicated land reconnaissance platform is however now just one element in a network providing the location of friend and foe alike, with other assets including electronic warfare systems, satellites, weapon-locating radars and acoustic detection devices.

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In the early days of such networks UAVs and fast jets were used to carry out photographic reconnaissance missions and then returned to rapidly have the film processed for subsequent analysis.

Today imagery is transmitted in real time to enable threats to be more rapidly detected and engaged. In addition, post-strike damage assessment images are essential to see how effective artillery fire or an air strike has been.

There is a perennial debate as to who should actually operate the UAV to avoid confliction in already contested airspace in time of conflict. In some countries the air force flies all drones, while in others the army tends to operate shorter-range tactical UAS while the air force fields longer-range models which are often armed.

The vast amount of information generated by these sources can easily lead to mission overload and this is where artificial intelligence (AI) has a vital role. And while not much discussed in the land domain, Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) is also of great importance, especially in conflicts such as Ukraine where both sides have many of the same weapons.

Wherever possible reconnaissance vehicles, whether armoured or soft-skinned, should obtain their critical intelligence by stealth rather than engaging directly with the enemy, and for this reason need to be as compact as possible with low acoustic, thermal and electromagnetic signatures.

Uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) are also increasingly being used for reconnaissance purposes and in addition to being fitted with an array of sensors, some are armed for offensive operations.

So today the land reconnaissance platform is just one element used in rapidly obtaining threat information to allow the commander to effectively deploy their forces. So how do some of the major players among the world’s armies structure their fleets to deliver this capability?

The French Army for one has operated a variety of vehicles in the reconnaissance role with the smallest being the Arquus VBL which was built in large numbers and exported widely.

This was originally armed with a ring-mounted machine gun (MG) but some were fitted with a protected weapon station (PWS) mounting a 12.7mm MG and a few with a remote weapon station (RWS). They were also modernised by adding a battlefield management system (BMS) and some received extra protection.

Part of the fleet is now being upgraded to VBL Ultima standard which includes removal of the amphibious capability, a new engine, improved brakes and more robust suspension to handle increased vehicle weight.

In the longer term the VBL will be replaced by a new 4x4, the Vehicule Blindé d’Aide a Engagement (VBAE) with the programme being run by OCCAR as it is a joint Belgian/French effort. A contract for the pre-design phase was signed in December 2023.

John Cockerill Defense of Belgium will be responsible for lethality, Arquus for mobility and KNDS-France for system integration. (Arquus is in the process of being acquired by John Cockerill Defense.)

The latter company has already completed the first prototype of its i-X 4x4 reconnaissance vehicle while Arquus showed the Scarabee 4x4 design several years ago which featured hybrid-electric drive and four-wheel steering.

At the heavier end of the scale France still deploys the AMX-10RC 6x6 armed with a 105mm gun and the Sagaie 6x6 with a 90mm weapon.

The former was upgraded to AMX-10RCR standard and with the introduction of the Jaguar 6x6 some have been transferred to Ukraine with a number already lost in combat.

The AMX-10RCR and Sagaie have also been deployed overseas by the French Army on many occasions and have had to travel over long distances from their disembarkation point before starting operations.

It is expected that the French Army will take delivery of 248 Jaguars while Belgium will receive 60 units.

More recently Luxembourg stated it will replace its current 48 KNDS-Germany Dingo 2 4x4 vehicles with a mix of 38 Jaguars, 16 Griffon 4x4s and five Serval 4x4 units

While earlier French reconnaissance vehicles were armed with a 90 or 105mm gun, the Jaguar has a 40mm Cased Telescoped Armament System (CTAS) and no co-axial MG. Instead it has a roof-mounted RWS fitted with a 7.62mm MG.

To engage targets at longer range it has a pod of two MBDA Akeron anti-tank guided weapons (ATGWs) which are elevated prior to launch and have a tandem warhead to defeat vehicles with explosive-reactive armour.

It is not often realised that Jaguar is also the replacement for the VAB 4x4 tank destroyer which has four 4,000m-range HOT ATGWs in a retractable launcher with additional missiles carried inside on rotary magazines.

Shifting focus to Germany, for many years the Spähpanzer Luchs 8x8 was the main reconnaissance vehicle of the Bundeswehr with a total of 408 delivered in the mid-1970s, continuing the German tradition of using 8x8 armoured platforms for this mission.

This was ultimately replaced by the Fennek which is a compact 4x4 originally developed in the Netherlands as the Multi-Purpose Carrier (MPC). In the end some 420 were procured by the Royal Netherlands Army and 202 by Germany. The type is fitted with a telescopic mast incorporating day/night cameras and a laser rangefinder.

KNDS-Germany has a contract to modernise 80 of these Fenneks, including 50 Joint Fire Support Team vehicles, to extend their operational lives.

The German Army has an open requirement for 250 new platforms to replace the Fennek fleet under the Reconnaissance Vehicle Next Generation or SpähFz NG programme with a tender issued in October 2023.

This is expected to be a 6x6 and potential contenders include a version of the Rheinmetall Fuchs Evo, the General Dynamics European Land Systems Piranha IV and Patria’s Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS).

It will be fitted with a wide range of sensors, communications equipment and a medium-calibre weapon and perhaps have an amphibious capability.

Turning to the UK, the Royal Artillery has operated the Thales Watchkeeper UAV to acquire targets, but these are now to be scrapped as part of defence cuts and were arguably never a particularly useful asset anyway, being somewhat accident-prone.

As well as AFVs the British Army uses the soft-skinned Supacat Jackal 4x4 for the reconnaissance mission, typically armed with a ring-mounted 12.7mm MG and at least one 7.62mm gun plus Javelin ATGWs for use in the dismounted role. It also sports a variety of lightweight sensors.

At the heavier end of the scale, originally the UK developed two new reconnaissance vehicles to replace older platforms, the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) or Scorpion family and the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Wheeled) or Fox.

The CVR (T) was to have been replaced by the Anglo-American Tactical Reconnaissance Armoured Combat Equipment Requirement (TRACER) but this was cancelled when the US Army pulled out to fund the ill-fated Future Combat Systems effort.

Some 50 years after it was first deployed and following numerous upgrades, the remaining members of the CVR (T) family (the Scimitar armed with the slow-firing 30mm RARDEN cannon, the Spartan APC, Samaritan ambulance, Samson recovery vehicle and Sultan command post) are finally starting to be be replaced by the General Dynamics Land Systems Ajax series.

The total contract is for 589 units in the following configurations: Scout 245, Protected Mobility 256, Recovery 38 and Repair 50. Within these are a number of dedicated reconnaissance versions including 24 ground-based surveillance, 34 formation reconnaissance overwatch and 51 engineer reconnaissance models.

The Turkish land systems industrial base meanwhile is now one of the largest in Europe and a number of platforms have been developed for the reconnaissance role.

A typical example is the Otokar Akrep 4x4 which can be fitted with weapons such as a turret armed with a 25mm cannon and 7.62mm co-axial MG. In addition to a day/thermal system and laser rangefinder for the guns it also has telescopic sighting with similar capabilities. A hybrid electric version has been developed and tested but it is understood that no sales have been made so far.

The earlier Otokar Cobra 4x4 was marketed in a range of roles including a dedicated reconnaissance version with mast-mounted sights and extensive communications equipment.

Most recently FNSS has developed the Pars Scout in 6x6 and 8x8 configurations to meet local requirements and these feature hydro-pneumatic suspension, all-wheel steering and a central tyre inflation system.

Turkish industry is also offering UGVs for the armed reconnaissance mission, including the Otokar Alpar compact tracked design which can be fitted with weapon systems such as a turret integrating a 25mm cannon, 7.62mm co-axial MG and a pod of two UMTAS ATGWs. Alpar also carries a smaller UGV on board which deploys via a flap at the front of the hull.

Outside of these NATO armies, the philosophy is a little different. Russia still operates the venerable amphibious BRDM-2 4x4 which is fitted with two ‘extra’ belly wheels mounted in the centre of the chassis that are lowered to the ground to improve cross-country mobility.

In addition to this basic reconnaissance vehicle a family of specialised variants is deployed including for NBC reconnaissance, or as launchers for various ATGWs and the 9K31 Strela-1 surface-to-air missile.

While the BRDM-2 originally entered service almost 60 years ago it is still used by many countries who have upgraded it to extend its operational life.

This includes removing the belly wheels, freeing up internal volume and allowing the installation of side doors for quicker entry and exit, as well as providing space for an additional two crew members.

The original petrol engine and manual transmission have been replaced by a more fuel-efficient diesel and with an automatic gearbox.

The one-person turret has no roof hatch and is armed with 7.62mm and 14.5mm MGs. Some users have removed this turret and fitted a new one with a larger calibre weapon.

In addition, members of the BMP-1/BMP-2 IFV family are used in the reconnaissance role such as the PRP-4A artillery reconnaissance vehicle.

A specialised version of the larger BMP-3 IFV has also been developed, designated BRM-3K Rys. The 100mm main armament has been removed but a 30mm cannon and 7.62mm coaxial MG are retained. It is fitted with a navigation system, a suite of day and night optical devices and a retractable battlefield surveillance radar.

Given the fleet sizes fielded by these representative armies and the scale of new procurement activity, military planners clearly see still a core role for dedicated reconnaissance vehicles, especially those with an offensive capability to strike the hostile assets they discover.

And as with many land systems platforms, several of these vehicle families were developed decades ago ago but their basic design is such that they have been able to be updated as threats change and new technology becomes available.

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