Rapid reaction force

A rapid reaction force / rapid response force (RRF), quick reaction force / quick response force (QRF), rapid deployment force (RDF) or quick maneuver force (QMF) is a military or police unit capable of responding to emergencies in a very short time frame. When used in reference to law enforcement and security forces, such as police tactical units, the time frame is usually minutes, while in military applications, such as paratroopers or commandos, the time frame can be minutes, hours or days. Rapid reaction forces are designed to intervene quickly as a spearhead to gain and hold ground in quickly unfolding combat or low-intensity conflicts, such as uprisings that necessitate the evacuation of foreign embassies. They are usually transported by air. Rapid reaction forces are usually lightly armed—limited to small arms and light crew-served weapons, and lacking vehicles, armor, and heavy equipment—but are often very well-trained to compensate. A rapid reaction force is an armed military unit capable of rapidly responding to developing situations, usually to assist allied units in need of assistance. They are equipped to respond to any type of emergency within a short time frame, often only a few minutes, based on unit standard operating procedures (SOPs). Cavalry units are frequently postured as rapid reaction forces, with a main mission of security and reconnaissance. They are generally platoon-sized in the U.S. military's combat arms. A rapid reaction force is a military reserve unit that belongs directly to the commander of the unit it is created from. Depending on the unit size and protocols, the commander may be the only person authorized to control a RRF, or they may delegate this responsibility to one or more additional people. RRFs are commonly found in maneuver battalion-level task forces and above, in addition to many operating bases having their own dedicated RRF to react to threats on or immediately around the base. The readiness level of a RRF is based on unit SOPs.