Scribble Notes From Sniper School. Secret Intelligence Service |

Secret Intelligence Service

Unit

Scribble Notes – Sniper School (C-IV)

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How do snipers work?

The sniper is a very special profession, surrounded by a veil of secrecy. By lifting the veil, you can learn why snipers do not behave as they do in the movies.

Training hard

Army snipers are trained snipers in elite units and their counterparts from the military units compliment their skills. In addition to shooting and camouflage training a basic course of instruction includes ballistics, survival, meteorology, observation, field engineering, business, tactics and communication. This is not a complete list of required knowledge of the sniper.

From time to time Officers are sent to practice in hot spots.

The sniper needs to work comfortably, secure, invisible while in position, not one position because after two or three successful shots the place must change; otherwise there is the risk of becoming a victim from anti sniper and artillery fire. Also needed positions of observation where can quickly advance to fire and with safe escape routes. These too must be prepared first.

The sniper requires a very convenient position, studded armor with escape hatch in the bottom. Inside the sniper becomes invulnerable to small arms. Abundance of hatches and embrasures extends the zone of fire, and a hidden protected output allows a quiet and safe leaving of the position.

Before going on position the sniper examines the background and masquerades it. The best camouflage will clearly stand out even on a cloudy day. The skilled sniper moves down from a ridge on a slope and faces the enemy, and takes a stand in the shade. With shadow the sniper should be friends because it conceals the outline, it does not shine optics. But not with all because new shadows on the well-known enemy plot arouse suspicion. Therefore, during the morning and evening, the sniper chooses a position to slash his shadow so not to become conspicuous.

Disguise is literal salvation for the sniper. Therefore the art of camouflage is taught daily and painstakingly at sniper school.

The most comfortable suit for a sniper is one described as shaggy. It is poorly detected by ultrasonic and infrared equipment, night vision devices. Of turned wool inside it perfectly warms, it can be used as a rug, blanket or a hammock to sleep. Before leaving the position the shaggy camouflage is further ‘stained’ by the countryside.

Who is not hidden

During war all methods are good – for example, bait. A great way to deliver the objective of the zone of destruction is a weapon. If enemy soldier sniper tries to shoot while his/her machine is on the parapet, sooner or later, someone will try to pick it up. Sniper may ask scouts during a night reconnaissance forays to leave in his field of activity a shiny watch.

Man in the open countryside shot by a sniper so that he lost the ability to move. And will be waiting when he/she will come to the rescue. They shoot assistants, and then finish off the wounded. If a sniper is shooting at the group, the first shot will be coming back – that others do not see that he has fallen. While the slain comrades realised what was happening, sniper shoots two or three.

Material

Snipers shoot with for example the British rifles AW. The abbreviation stands for Arctic Warfare – Arctic fighting means that the weapon is adapted to work at low temperatures. The rifle was created by Malcolm Cooper, world champion and Olympic shooter. AW uses cartridges NATO 7.62 mm, and its accuracy is such that at a distance of 550 meters of a series of five shots fit in a circle with a diameter of less than 50 millimetres.

Army specialists use other long length rifles for firing armor-piercing incendiary ammunition that does not change pitch of rifling of the barrel. Say 12.7mm cartridge. Can be heavy and noisy so It is recommended to use with headphones.

Regarding telescopic sights/scopes for sniper rifles one can write a book. Here it is only possible to say that for different tasks different scopes come into play; the necessary multiplicity, day and night, with laser illumination purposes and without it.

Snipers are often shown in action in movies though the screen shooters are far from reality. Experts point to the two most common mistakes of movie makers.

The sniper never works alone. Usually at the firing position are two people; the shooter and the observer who corrects the fire and monitors the situation. The sniper is looking through the scope, and it has small angle.

In a movie the sniper usually pokes his/her rifle out of the window – so the enhance the screen effect. In reality firing is from deep space; the sound of the shot significantly suppressed by walls, powder and gases emitted remain inside. To see a sniper in the darkened window is very difficult.