Five types of reconnaissance

Route Reconnaissance

is a directed effort to obtain detailed information of a specified route and all terrain from which the enemy could influence movement along that route.

Area Reconnaissance

is a form of reconnaissance that focuses on obtaining detailed information about the terrain or enemy activity a prescribed area with permissive boundaries.

Zone Reconnaissance

is a form of reconnaissance that involves a directed effort to obtain detailed information on all routes, obstacles, terrain, and enemy forces within a zone defined by non-permissive boundaries.

Special Reconnaissance

is characterized as reconnaissance and surveillance actions conducted as a special operation in hostile, denied, or politically sensitive environments to collect or verify information of strategic or operational significance employing military capabilities not normally found in conventional forces.

Reconnaissance in Force

is conducted as an air-ground operation and is a deliberate combat operation designed to discover or test the enemy's strength, dispositions, and reactions or to obtain other information. Company/troop-sized reconnaissance forces or larger usually conduct a RIF.