In the new era of hybrid warfare information is key. But information by itself is not enough, decisionmakers want information that is certain and has quality. One method of obtaining this information is special reconnaissance.
However, the field of special reconnaissance is slim and hasn’t been researched extensively enough. In the field of special reconnaissance only a single theory exists. That theory is Anders Westbergs theory of special reconnaissance. Westbergs theory states that there is a term called relative certainty. Which is the threshold where there is sufficient actionable intelligence on the opponent or target. To achieve relative certainty there are a certain set of principles which should be fulfilled, these principles are coordination, review, cover, reporting and exploitation. Westbergs theory however is still not tested by an outsider. This study therefore seeks to investigate if Westbergs theory is valid when tested through a qualitative case study on a case that is not only a failure and more modern, but also untested against the theory. The chosen case is the patrol Bravo Two Zero in the Persian Gulf War, 1991.
The result shows that Westbergs theory can be used to explain the failure of Bravo Two Zeros mission. Some principles such as reporting shows significant value to the explanation.