Patrolling

A combat patrol is a group with sufficient size (usually platoon or company) and resources to raid or ambush a specific enemy. It primarily differs from an attack in that the aim is not to hold ground. A contact patrol is similar in many ways to a reconnaissance (recce) patrol in that it both locates the position of an enemy force, and/or then maintains contact with that force. As stated above, a reconnaissance patrol generally avoids disclosing its own position if possible, whereas a contact patrol is more likely to maintain contact with enemy forces through direct and/or indirect fire. ==Aviation patrol types==

A combat air patrol (CAP) involves fighter aircraft flying a defensive screen over a critical area, for instance a carrier battle group, for the purpose of intercepting and destroying hostile aircraft before they reach their target. There are numerous specific variations of the basic CAP, for instance HVAACAP or "High Value Airborne Asset CAP", designed to protect highly vulnerable E-3 AWACS or E-8 J-STARS aircraft whilst airborne. A contact patrol in aviation terms, was a term used by British and French forces around 1915–18 during World War I. Aircraft would fly low over the battlefield searching for the position of friendly ground units that had advanced to where they were no longer in direct contact with their own HQ. These ground units would identify themselves to the aircraft by means of flares, mirrors, signalling lamps, strips of cloth and signalling panels. In some cases infantry wore shiny tin discs on the back of their equipment, designed to be visible from the air. Contact patrol aircraft found that the infantry was much more willing to light flares when called forth by klaxon and observers found that they could identify troops at . Messages from the signalling panels could be read up to a height of . In turn these aircraft would relay updated positions and any messages back to Brigade HQ, sometimes using early wireless equipment (morse), but also by dropping hand-written notes or maps to pre-arranged report centres on the ground. ==See also==