recce

Recce, short for reconnaissance, is a term used in military and other fields to refer to an initial survey conducted to gather information about a place, route, objective, or situation. The word originates from French and has become common in British and Commonwealth militaries, as well as in other contexts such as filmmaking and surveying. In many uses, recce is both a noun and a verb, as in “to recce” a location.

In military contexts, a recce is a preliminary inspection intended to inform planning and decision-making. Its goals include identifying terrain features, potential routes for movement, lines of communication, obstacles, and possible enemy positions or activities. Recce results help shape mission timelines, force disposition, and contingencies. Depending on the operation, recce tasks may be overt or covert and can involve ground patrols, aerial or maritime surveys, or a combination of human observation and sensor data.

Common forms of recce include ground recce, aerial or air-recce, and sea or coastal recce. Methods employ a range of assets such as scouts, reconnaissance aircraft, drones or unmanned systems, satellites, fotografia, signals intelligence, and map or imagery analysis. The output is typically a recce report or reconnaissance briefing that informs operational plans and risk assessments.

In film and media production, a recce refers to a location scouting visit to assess suitability for shoots, lighting at different times of day, noise and access, safety, and logistical requirements. The term emphasizes planning and information gathering to support scheduling and budgeting.

See also reconnaissance, scouting, surveillance.