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Further Reading

Reconnaissance Aircraft

The principal method for gathering target intelligence is air reconnaissance. The Front commander's staE prepares an overall reconnaissance plan that details tasks for tactical aviation assets. Tactical aviation reconnaissance focuses on the tactical and operational depths of the enemy, although targets at strategic depths also may be assigned. Air reconnaissance is conducted to determine the enemy's intentions and collect intelligence for planning air and ground operations. There are four major categories of targets for air reconnaissance: Nuclear weapon systems and storage depots; Active and potential enemy airfields; Defensive positions and systems (air defense, command and control centers, electronic warfare centers). Enemy reserves, supply depots, and approach routes (particularly key intersections and bridges).

Aircraft crews on any mission are expected to immediately report observed enemy activity. Primary responsibility for air reconnaissance is borne by dedicated reconnaissance regiments. These regiments have specially equipped reconnaissance aircraft. Airborne electronic intelligence collectors also are available from aviation assets. Perishable target intelligence data is transmitted by radio from the aircraft to ground command posts. Greater effort is being made to develop and improve methods for secure transmission of reports from the aircraft to data collection and processing centers. The processing of data from an air reconnaissance mission takes 2 to 8 hours, although procedures for interpreting reconnaissance data are being modernized to speed up this process.

In training exercises, the Soviets have shown some resewations about employing armed reconnaissance flights on battlefield and rear area interdiction missions ("free hunting" flights) until airsuperiorityis established. Armed reconnaissance efforts would he directed toward disrupting the enemy's resupply operations and troop movements through the immediate exploitation of reconnaissance data (by a flight of a reconnaissance aircraft and two to four attack aircraft). Targets for interdiction missions are nuclear storage areas, enemy airtields, troop reserves, and command and control centers. Targets may be located up to 480 kilometers behind the front lines.

Interdiction of enemy efforts to deploy and concentrate his forces against arapidand highly mobile attacking force is considered particularly effective when the enemy lacks in-depth reserves and relies on moving forces laterally to blunt offensive operations. The classification (characteristics and configuration) and location of targets are the bases for planning strikes). Targets are classified as single, multiple, line, or area.

One area of expressed interest in the 1980s was the improvement of nighttime aerial reconnaissance and ordnance delivety in support of ground maneuver formations. Despite heavy emphasis on night combat, the Soviets recognized limitations in their capability to maintain continuity of air support at night. They see a need for improved target designation and mutual identification procedures between air and ground units at night, even to the extent of forming special helicopter units for night combat.