Long-range surveillance (LRS) (pronounced "lurse") are elite, specially-trained surveillance units of the United States Army employed for clandestine operation by Military Intelligence for gathering direct human intelligence information deep within enemy territory. Classic LRS employment is to infiltrate deep into enemy territory, construct hide and surveillance sites, and provide continuous surveillance/special reconnaissance of an intelligence target of key interest.
LRS teams allow 24-hour surveillance and analysis coverage unlike unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), manned aircraft, and most satellites. Assuming there is no mission compromise, these teams typically remain in position for up to 6 days, as determined by the availability of food and water.
As a result of an evaluation conducted using computer-modelling the U.S. Army's senior leadership made the decision to deactivate all active-duty and National Guard LRS units. By the end January 2017 the three active-duty LRS companies had ceased to exist, with its personnel being reassigned to other units. It is planned that the remaining National Guard units will follow suit by 2018.
Long Range Surveillance Units (LRSU) have four primary missions and five secondary missions as per FM 3-55.93 Long Range Surveillance Unit Operations. The five primary missions are surveillance, zone and area reconnaissance, target acquisition, and target interdiction. Combat assessment/battle damage assessment is mentioned as not a standalone LRSU mission but inherent to all LRSUs. The five secondary missions are able to be completed if given the proper training and time to coordinate. The secondary missions include route reconnaissance, emplacement and recovery of sensors, pathfinder operations, personnel recovery and combat search and rescue, and chemical detection and radiological surveillance and monitoring operations.