On April 26, the Russian Army celebrates Sniper Day. Masters of precision shooting serve in all types and branches of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The development of firearms, sights and UAVs increased their capabilities on the battlefield, which gave them special significance when performing tasks in various theaters of military operations.
"Group hunting"
From the data of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation it follows that in the Russian army much attention is paid to the quality of training snipers. With their participation, large-scale exercises, specialized gatherings, tactical exercises and competitions are regularly held. In addition to performing tasks at the shooting ranges, military personnel make marches, improve their camouflage, adjustment and firing skills in various climatic and weather conditions (for example, in the mountains and in strong winds).
An important role in the combat training of snipers is played by the ability to act in the city at any time of the day. In the classroom, they practice reconnaissance and secretive penetration into settlements, arranging ambushes, creating false shelters, disguising their positions and occupying places favorable for shooting in multi-storey buildings.
A separate niche in the training of precision shooting masters is occupied by the anti-sniper tactics of positional combat. We are talking about a sniper duel with a conditional opponent. According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, tricks such as bait dolls, reflecting mirrors, smoke screens and laser target indicators are used for this. Russian troops should be able to find ambushes and accurately determine enemy firing points.
The arsenal of Russian specialists has many tactical actions. For example, to sow panic in the immediate rear of an enemy who considers himself safe, a technique called “shot out of nowhere” is used. The bottom line is that a sniper destroys a single manpower in an open area at a distance of up to 1.5 thousand meters, while remaining unnoticed.
To conduct larger-scale military actions in the rear, so-called sniper reconnaissance patrols are created. To demoralize the enemy, these formations carry out "harassing" actions, during which the conditional enemy commanders are selectively destroyed. The tactics of the complete elimination of manpower in a separate area is called "group hunting."
The materials of the military department say that the composition of such a patrol includes from four to eight shooters and two observers. Such a unit operates "at the forefront to hold back enemy actions and collect intelligence." If necessary, it can be reinforced with a machine gun or grenade launcher.
- Shooting range sniper
- © mod.mil.rus
As experts explain, on theater of war snipers often perform tasks as a couple (shooter and observer-spotter) or as part of an army reconnaissance and sabotage group (DRG). In addition to manpower, precision shooting masters are able to disable various types of equipment - radars, communications, lightly armored vehicles (by hitting wheels, components and assemblies) and low-flying UAVs, military analyst Dmitry Litovkin said in an interview with RT.
“The priority task of snipers is, of course, the elimination of command personnel, crews and weapons calculations, which allows you to demoralize and disorganize the enemy. However, depending on the caliber of the rifle and the presence of other weapons (for example, a grenade launcher or a portable missile system), modern snipers are capable of causing quite serious material damage to the enemy, ”said Litovkin.
In a commentary on RT, the columnist of the magazine “Firing Line” Alexander Butyrin emphasized that the masters of precision shooting are most often involved in sabotage activities, the meaning of which is to destroy the most important people for the enemy and disable valuable equipment.
“A sniper saboteur is, perhaps, a specialist of the highest level of training. There is even such a thing - sniper terror. It involves introducing the adversary into confusion and its moral suppression. To do this, a sniper acts on the battlefield under the guise of explosions, flashes, and so on, which makes it difficult to determine the source and direction of fire. It has been established that the enemy is frightened when the personnel die at the hands of a sniper who cannot fire from somewhere, ”Butyrin stated.
According to experts, the capabilities of Russian snipers have increased markedly in the wake of large-scale rearmament in recent years. In addition to the ageless legendary Dragunov rifle (SVD) and its various modifications, military personnel use 7.62 mm SV-98 rifles, large-caliber 12.7 mm ASVK Kord and 9 mm silent BCC-M (Vintorez).
The intelligence of snipers has also reached a new level. The arsenal of precision shooting masters includes various technical means of observation and aiming, including portable laser reconnaissance devices LPR-3 and thermal imaging sights (used at night) 1P-140-2.
In addition, drones are actively using sniper units at the theater of operations (in particular, the tactical UAV Orlan-10). Drones allow you to identify enemy mobile units and determine the coordinates of enemy positions.
“At present, the armament of the Russian army sniper is quite diverse. These are modern rifles, ammunition, optical devices, communications, equipment and ammunition. It is a fact. The use and application of new types of firearms is especially pleasing, ”Butyrin says.
"Special caste"
As noted in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, a sniper must have special psychological qualities that allow him to perform tasks in difficult conditions and circumstances. In particular, concentration of attention, tolerance to adverse conditions, and the ability to self-hypnosis (necessary for staying stationary at a firing position) are of key importance.
Specially trained psychologists instill in Russian snipers practices that help them control their body, focus on the perception of visual information, and not feel discomfort and fatigue.
- A sniper in camouflage uniforms prepares a rifle for shooting.
- © mod.mil.rus
The servicemen themselves say that a sniper is first and foremost a patient, thinking, observant fighter who is able to accurately select a position, relying on his instinct. A high level of physical fitness and accuracy of shooting are important, but secondary qualities.
“I had a colleague who shot perfectly, had excellent physical fitness, but I was not at all able to choose a point for shooting. Wherever he is, he either does not see anyone, or sees everyone, but it’s easy for the enemy to notice him, ”quotes the“ Red Star ”of the senior reconnaissance sniper of the reconnaissance company of the Ulyanovsk air assault brigade Aleksey Stroyev (the name of the military man has been changed. - RT )
Dmitry Litovkin calls the masters of precision shooting "special caste." The expert believes that professional snipers are distinguished by a developed (compared to other military personnel) ability to sense danger and at the same time create a threat to the enemy. These skills, as the interlocutor of RT says, become invaluable if they are tested in real combat.
“Syria naturally comes to mind, where our Special Operations Forces were operating. Nothing is publicly known about the mission of snipers in their composition, but, like any war, the operation in Syria probably helped to check the quality of training of snipers. Such experience always allows us to improve the tactics and armament of the military, ”summed up Litovkin.