Nowak, Daniel Heeresaufklärungstruppe Heute. German Reconnaissance Vehicles and Equipment - Today

With amalgamation of the German army's main reconnaissance forces into the Army Reconnaissance Force in 2008, this troop type has a broad, complementary spectrum of ground-based and airborne reconnaissance capabilities. This variety of different assets, from reconnaissance to unmanned aerial vehicles and field intelligence forces, enables to gather a broad mix of data, plus it links human sensory perception with the use of technical sensors. Reconnaissance units always reliably contribute to an up-to-date picture of the situation by providing constant and comprehensive information, sometimes in real time, and they create essential prerequisites for the successful conduct of operations.

In doing so, reconnaissance units often fulfil their mission independently, in small squads and on their own for several days. Following on seamlessly from the tradition and experience of the Armoured Reconnaissance Force and other reconnaissance carriers, the Army Reconnaissance Force has proven itself in training and exercises since its birth, and it has successfully participated in stabilisation missions in the Balkans, Afghanistan and Mali. The Army Reconnaissance Force is rightly proud to be the eyes and ears of the commander. This publication shows the vehicles, equipment and the soldiers of today's German Army Reconnaissance Force in many exercise photographs.