Synopsis

Ground surveillance operators can spend many days out in the field, without re-supply. Equipped with numerous observation devices, these specialists are trained to gather what information they can on the enemy. This piece includes soundbites from 1st Lieutenant Schudek, 2nd Long Range Recon Unit, Czech Army, as he patrols through a Czech forest on a simulated reconnaissance mission. Footage also includes footage of the interior and exterior of a hidden command centre, as well as shots of Czech troops from the 102nd Reconnaissance Battalion of the Czech Army performing a variety of surveillance and reconnaissance operations at Hradis training area in the Czech Republic, as part of the trial United Vision 2018. During the trial, participants from 17 NATO nations as well as from the partner countries Finland and Sweden had the opportunity to connect multinational and collective Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance capabilities.

Teaser

Drones and satellites can see a lot, but when it comes to getting intel up close, send in the scouts.

Transcript

TEXT ON SCREEN RECON UNITS JOINT NATO TRIALS LOCATION: CZECH REPUBLIC --SOUNDBITE—(ENGLISH) 1st Lieutenant Schudek, 2nd Long Range Recon Unit ‘We are the long-range reconnaissance unit. We are able to survive for almost 10 days, without re-supply. And we’ve got lots of observation devices that allow us to gather a lot of information which we can send, through our radios, up to 100 km back to our lines.” TEXT ON SCREEN GROUND SURVEILLANCE OPERATORS HAVE A CRUCIAL ROLE --SOUNDBITE—(ENGLISH) 1st Lieutenant Schudek, 2nd Long Range Recon Unit “From pushing the button on the camera, the pictures will get to the higher command in a few minutes. We can get some satellite pictures of the things we have to observe. The satellite can produce some mistakes, so we are the human factor that brings the real information from the ground.” --SOUNDBITE—(ENGLISH) 1st Lieutenant Schudek, 2nd Long Range Recon Unit The most important thing? You have to be patient. Because you can lie on the observation post for almost two or three days and there is nothing happening. So you just have to be patient.’