What is the difference between Surveillance And Reconnaissance?

"Surveillance" and "reconnaissance" are two out of four major practices, methods or tactics used in the military when it comes to the battlefield. In order to emerge the victor on the battlefield, four practices tagged ISTAR is needed. ISTAR means intelligence, surveillance, target, acquisition, and reconnaissance. Surveillance, which has to do with the activity of monitoring, is gotten from two French words "sur" and "veiller". "Sur" simply means "from above", and "veiller" means "to watch"; therefore, surveillance can mean " to watch from above", or better said, "to watch over".

This is a process used by the military or government in monitoring the behaviors, activities, and movements of people, most especially with the help of electronic devices like the internet or CCTV camera. Reconnaissance is another tactic of monitoring the enemy by sending military troops discretely to gather more information. This involves the use of trained and skilled agents or spies on the enemy's field. This tactic is more complex than surveillance.