What Makes Air Force Reconnaissance “Special”?
John Long and Leandros Fugate
February 24, 2025
Commentary
Special Warfare Airmen train with U.S. Marine Corps Reserve
After years of training, a recon commando marches into the briefing room and declares, “I’ve got little flying drones, cyber forensic tools, and a long-range rifle. I want a target.” The boss looks at the commando and replies, “Look, scout, you don’t have the authorities to use any of those fancy tools, take a seat in the back.” The commando nods and sits. Then an intelligence collector speaks to the boss: “I have a target, I just need a way to access it from the ground.” The boss considers the collector and says, “Listen, your job is to focus on the air. Come sit with the crew up front.” The collector and commando shrug, the briefing continues and the target window closes. We were the commando, collector, and boss in this fable too many times. The U.S. Air Force isn’t sure how to organize or train for special reconnaissance, and the current model keeps repeating like a bad joke. We think the time is right for the Air Force to deliver a harder-hitting punch line.
Integrating special warfare airmen, information warfare capabilities, and other technical elements conducting special reconnaissance missions can help. The status quo separates these communities between Air Combat Command and Air Force Special Operations Command largely based on funding, training, and mission from the last war. However, the Air Force’s re-optimization ambition may reshape many of those major commands, stand up new ones, and shuffle the subordinate units of action. The appetite for change should include a new model to merge capabilities within a dedicated special reconnaissance squadron.
Mission, Airmen, and Meaning
Joint doctrine defines “special reconnaissance” as actions conducted in sensitive environments to collect information of strategic importance, usually without capabilities found in the conventional force. Historically, special reconnaissance includes peculiar capabilities employing clandestine and covert mechanisms. The Air Force removed the term “special reconnaissance” from service doctrine in 2024, but invests heavily in conventional reconnaissance capability like the U-2 “Dragon Lady” aircraft and the distributed intelligence processing stations. Reconnaissance and intelligence squadrons collect sensitive information, but the assets themselves are overt. America acknowledges the reconnaissance aircraft for what they are, and the adversary treats these missions like spy planes. For example, a Dragon Lady flying over South Korea would be sensitive but not special, and everyone can figure out the intended target for collection.
https://warontherocks.com/2025/02/what-makes-air-force-reconnaissance-special/
