Today, in most armies, there are two main concepts of sniping:

A sniper pair or a single shooter work in the "free hunting" mode, i.e. their main task is to destroy enemy manpower on the front line and in the immediate rear.

A sniper-reconnaissance patrol, consisting of four to eight riflemen and two observers, fetters the enemy's actions in their area of ​​responsibility and collects information about the organization of the enemy's front line. If necessary, such a group can be reinforced with a single machine gun or grenade launcher.

To perform the combat missions assigned to him, the sniper must be located in a separate, carefully camouflaged position. When a target appears, the shooter must quickly evaluate its value (i.e., determine whether it is worth shooting at this object at all), wait for a moment and hit the target with the first shot. In order to produce the greatest psychological effect, it is desirable to hit targets located as far as possible from the front line: a well-aimed shot "from nowhere" that hit a person who felt completely safe plunges other enemy soldiers into a state of shock and stupor.

Sniper operations are most effective in positional battles. Under these conditions, three main forms of combat work are applicable:

A sniper (sniper group) is located among their positions and does not allow the enemy to move freely, conduct surveillance and reconnaissance;

A sniper (sniper group) conducts a "free hunt" away from their positions; the main task is to destroy high-ranking command, create nervousness and panic in the immediate rear of the enemy (i.e. "sniper terror");

"Group hunting", i.e. the work of a group of snipers of four to six people; tasks - disabling key facilities when repelling enemy attacks, ensuring secrecy when moving friendly troops, simulating an increase in combat activity in a given sector of the front. In some situations, it is advisable to use snipers on a company or battalion scale centrally. This allows you to increase fire resistance to the enemy in the main area of ​​the battle.

When working in pairs, one of the snipers conducts observation, target designation and reconnaissance (spotter or observer), and the other fires (fighter). After 20-30 minutes, snipers can switch roles, because long observation dulls the sharpness of the perception of the environment. When repelling attacks in cases where a sniper group appears in the area of ​​responsibility a large number of targets, and in case of a sudden collision with the enemy, both snipers fire at the same time.

Sniper groups, including 4-6 shooters and the crew of a single machine gun (PKM type), can be used to reach the flank and rear of the enemy and inflict sudden fire damage on him.

It is extremely important not only the work of the sniper himself, but also his partner - the spotter. He solves the following tasks: transfers and prepares optical surveillance equipment for work, determines the route and methods of movement, provides fire cover for the sniper using an assault rifle (assault rifle) with an underbarrel grenade launcher, masks and eliminates traces on the route of movement, helps the sniper in setting up a shooting position, monitors the area and draws up a report on the operation, monitors the battlefield and designates targets, maintains radio communications, uses sabotage equipment ( anti-personnel mines and smoke bombs).

The most effective tactic in sniping is the long daylight ambush. It is carried out at predetermined positions in the area of ​​the most probable appearance of targets. The main task of the ambush is to limit the movement of the enemy, demoralize him and collect intelligence information.

When choosing a place for an ambush, all available intelligence information should be used. In cases of enemy activity in this area, snipers must be accompanied by a cover group. Before going into an ambush, a sniper pair must specify the coordinates of their “prone”, time and approximate routes of approach and withdrawal, passwords, radio frequencies and call signs, forms of fire support.

The ambush is usually carried out at night, so that by morning it will already be in place. During the transition, complete secrecy must be observed. At the ambush site, reconnaissance of the area is carried out, the position is equipped and camouflaged. All this is done in the dark, all work must be completed at least an hour before dawn, when the enemy's night vision devices begin to work. With the onset of the day, the sniper pair begins to observe and search for targets. As a rule, in the early morning and at dusk, soldiers lose their vigilance and can expose themselves to a shot. In the course of observation, areas of probable appearance of targets are determined, wind speed and direction are constantly assessed, landmarks and distances to them are outlined. At the same time, throughout the day, snipers must maintain complete immobility and strict disguise.

When targets appear, the group must quickly assess their importance and determine whether to open fire on them. Having opened fire, the sniper in many cases unmasks his "prone", so you need to shoot only at the most important and clearly visible targets. Aiming at the target is usually carried out by both snipers: in case of a miss, the observer will either open fire too, or will be able to correct the shooting of his first number.

The decision on whether to stay in position further is made by the senior sniper pair after shooting. If nothing suspicious happens at the enemy positions after the shot, then the group can remain in position until dark. Leaving the position is carried out only at night, as imperceptibly as possible. At the same time, the ambush site is given its original appearance, all traces of the "laying" are carefully eliminated in order to reuse it if necessary (although this is done only in exceptional cases). In some situations, a surprise mine may be installed at the leaving position.

Special mention should be made of the tactics of snipers serving at roadblocks. When organizing a checkpoint, it must necessarily include a group of snipers performing specific tasks to ensure the safe operation of the post. Therefore, a position for observation and fire, which would provide the maximum sector of view and fire, stealth from enemy observation, should be chosen not only on the territory of the checkpoint, but also beyond it. The specifics of the work of the checkpoint does not guarantee maximum stealth, so the sniper must remain constantly vigilant so as not to give himself away. To do this, he must observe the following precautions: be always prepared for the fact that the position may be under observation; do not make unnecessary movements; do not use observation devices without protection from direct sunlight on the lenses; maintain a natural position; take a position or make a shift covertly.

All-round defense is organized at each checkpoint. Therefore, snipers equip the main positions in the center of the defense area, but they are not used in everyday work. Particular attention is paid to the interaction of snipers. If there are several checkpoints in one direction, then snipers will definitely organize interaction with them.

It is believed that in the Russian law enforcement agencies, unlike similar Western structures, little attention is paid to the development of sniper business. Some domestic experts argue that world-class shooters are only in the Center special purpose FSB of Russia, but they are armed with old British rifles.

Meanwhile, in trade publications and in social networks you can see photos from various competitions of sniper pairs, where not only employees participate Federal Service security, but also military personnel of the Ministry of Defense and internal troops, even police officers armed with modern rifles, including foreign-made ones, and equipped with GPS receivers, weather stations, rangefinders, etc.

So how is sniping developing in Russia, what are the snipers of various law enforcement agencies armed with, what equipment and uniforms do they prefer to use? These questions were answered by active snipers from the Command of Special Operations Forces of the Ministry of Defense, the Special Operations Forces Brigade of the Southern Military District, one of the units of the Airborne Forces, the Special Purpose Center of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and SOBR TsSN of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Sniping tactics

At present, the Russian Ministry of Defense has sniper units (companies, sometimes separate platoons) not only in the units of the Airborne Forces and Marine Corps, but even in motorized rifle and tank brigades. Also, each battalion or detachment of the Special Forces includes a sniper group, pairs of which “under the task”, as they say in the special forces, are attached to reconnaissance groups. In special forces units of the internal troops, sniper pairs are not reduced to separate groups, but are regularly included in platoons.

For several years now, a sniper school has been operating in the Russian Ministry of Defense in Solnechnogorsk, Moscow Region, where trainees take three courses: the first is individual training, the second is action in a sniper pair, and the third is the qualification “Instructor”. The training is quite difficult, so the dropout rate is also high.

Similar courses operate in the FSB and the FSO, and in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the internal troops they look with envy at colleagues from the Ministry of Defense. " It is immediately clear that the military leadership is sick of this matter, they understand how snipers should act. Anyhow they don’t give anyone a rifle", - says the officer VV.

It is noteworthy that, regardless of the department, the pair is equipped according to a single principle. The first number is armed with the so-called precision weapon system - a non-automatic sniper rifle, also called a bolt or just a bolt. The second number of the pair, in turn, is armed with a self-loading SVD, it also carries all the equipment, including a tactical spotting scope (TZT), a range finder, a weather station, etc.

The organization of the pair, where the second numbers are armed with automatic sniper rifles, is traditional for the units of the armed forces of Great Britain, France and Germany, it is sometimes called English.

In the American scheme, the second number is armed not with an automatic sniper, but assault rifle with a grenade launcher. It is noteworthy that both schemes are present in the US military. In particular, in the Marine Corps sniper pairs are organized according to the American scheme, and in the US Army there is an English one, where the first number is armed with an M-24 rifle, and the second with a self-loading M110.

« Soviet snipers after the Great Patriotic War never acted in pairs. There was one shooter with SVD. But already in Afghanistan, a machine gunner began to be attached to a sniper for protection. True, he did not wear any equipment, but he protected the sniper and worked with him in tandem. Snipers acted in the same way during the first Chechen war ", - recalls an employee of the SOBR Ministry of Internal Affairs.

According to the interlocutor, sniper pairs of the FSB Special Purpose Center were the first to work according to the English scheme, from where it gradually spread to other law enforcement agencies.

It is noteworthy that in addition to the bolt rifle, the first number for close-range combat is also armed with the Ak-74 (in the internal troops) or the silent AS / VSS (in the special forces of the GRU and the Airborne Forces).

« I carry a rifle in a backpack in a special compartment, and in my hands I have an AK-74, as well as a pistol in a holster on a belt system. It turns out that in the unit the sniper has the biggest load. Instead of an AK, we can have a sniper armed- says the officer of the internal troops.

His colleagues from the special forces of the GRU and the Airborne Forces have a similar ammunition load. True, according to the officer Airborne Troops, the second number, it would still be advisable, in addition to arming another AK with PBS.

The tasks of sniper pairs differ depending on the department. " For us, the main thing is observation, adjustment of artillery fire and aviation actions behind enemy lines. In exceptional cases - the elimination of enemy commanders and especially important targets. The most important thing is stealth, we are scouts first of all”, – notes the officer of the Special Forces brigade of the Ministry of Defense.

His colleague from the Airborne Forces adds that in a local conflict, special forces snipers have other tasks: “ In the so-called buffer zone, we, having settled covertly, can direct artillery and aviation fire at enemy units, as well as independently hunt for his personnel, and sometimes equipment».

An example of such work is the actions of SBU sniper pairs in Novorossia last August, when they completely blocked the road between Krasnodon and Lugansk, not only correcting artillery fire, but also destroying enemy vehicles on their own.

For snipers of the SOBR of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the main task is to observe, as well as destroy terrorists, often in urban areas. " We participate in search and reconnaissance activities. It happens that we look for, block and destroy terrorists in settlements, in the forest or in the mountains", - admits the officer of the internal troops.

Having taken a position, the sniper pair deploys weapons, equipment, communications and surveillance equipment. " The second number with the help of TRT helps the first to find and identify the target. The range finder determines not only the distance, but also the elevation angle of the target, and data on wind speed, humidity and temperature are taken from the weather station. Based on these parameters, the first number calculates the vertical and horizontal corrections and introduces them into the sight using special drums, as they are officially called - “angle input mechanisms", - says a special forces officer of the Ministry of Defense.

But the work of the second issue does not end there. " After the shot, the second number carefully observes the target in the TZT. Ideally, the sniper should hit her with the first shot, but at long range, the slightest gust of wind can lead to a miss. In this case, the main task of the second number is to track the contrail of a bullet flying near the target and give a correction for the second shot.

Depending on how the bullet passed relative to the target, the first number changes the aiming point and fires a second shot. You can, of course, try again to introduce corrections into the sight, but if you need to fire a shot quickly, then turning the sight and rifle to the right or left will be much faster", - explains the officer-paratrooper.

“If the bullet went higher or lower, then there was an error in measuring the distance to the target. A laser rangefinder gives an accurate distance, but, unfortunately, not all units have them, and often the range has to be measured using special scales on sights and TZT, ”says a special forces officer.

What's in the cases?

It should be noted that at present only the special forces of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are fully “packed” with domestic sniper weapons. “We are armed with MC-116, respectively, SVD and AS and VSS. SV and MTs are chambered for the domestic cartridge 7.62x54 mm, it is close to the Western one.308 (7.62x51),” says the officer of the internal troops. Until recently, SOBR snipers of the TsSN MVD were also armed, but now the detachment has received Finnish Sako TRG rifles of caliber .308.

SV-98 sniper rifle

Sniper rifle MC-116

The units of the Ministry of Defense use Austrian rifles of the company "Mannlicher" SSG-04(caliber .308) and SSG-08 (.300 and .338). “Some “specialists” like to say that the Mannlicher is a rifle designed for hunters, and it is not suitable for special forces operating behind enemy lines. The sniper complex requires a careful attitude to oneself, all the little things are important, and this is what makes the success. While you are running, sometimes something will fall into the barrel. There may be moisture if you get caught in the rain, - an airborne officer shares his experience. - You take with you "on the task" a can of oil and a rub to "drive" the barrel before firing. A good sniper will have no problems. You have to watch your rifle."

It is noteworthy that the Command of the Special Operations Forces, as a self-loading rifle, tried to purchase the NK-417 caliber 7.62 mm from Heckler und Koch, which is used as the weapon of the second number of a sniper pair in the American Delta and DEVGRU. " A couple of years ago, they tried to push through the purchase of HK-417 for our needs, but failed. Thanks to Alexei Navalny, if you remember the story of allegedly inflated prices for the purchase of Austrian Glock pistols and later with scopes", - says an officer from the KSSO.

Sniper rifle SSG-04

Sniper rifle SSG-08

SSG-08 caliber .338(8.6x70) are in service only in the special purpose centers of the KSSO, causing envy among snipers from other units of the Special Forces of the Ministry of Defense, their colleagues from law enforcement agencies.

“The .338 caliber ammunition has a much better ballistic coefficient, a longer firing range than the .308. External factors influence much less. For example, when shooting at 500 meters, I have to make corrections on my SV-98, make offsets. And the shooter p. 338, if there is wind - no, he lies down and hits the target without any unnecessary movements. To be honest, my dream is SSG-08, but they are not in the MVD. In the same caliber, I would not refuse the Russian T-5000, ”the officer of the internal troops argues.

A colleague from the special forces brigade agrees with him: “ According to the profile, we mainly work in the mountains, maybe the ranges there are small compared to the plains, but the weather, altitude, pressure difference strongly influence, you often need to shoot upwards with a significant excess. Of course, from SSG-04 we hit the target, but from SSG-08 it would be much easier».

According to an SOBR officer, the Finnish TRG, due to its dimensions and barrel length, is good for solving police tasks, but the detachment's snipers would really like to get models of 8.6x70 mm sniper rifles.

Unlike foreign rifles, Russian ones, according to the interlocutors of the publication, have to pay increased attention and constantly refine. “I don’t want to say anything bad about the SV-98 and MTs-116, but everything in them is somehow not worked out, not thought out. For example, the new version of the SV-98 is a light stock, but what prevented you from making a folding stock? The British AW has had this for over 20 years. The stock bipod does not hold the rifle in place. Just a little, she falls on her side, which means that the aim is lost. These are sniper rifles, everything should be neat, miniature, and there the screws are the same as in an electrical outlet, ”an officer of the internal troops gives an assessment.

But all the interlocutors of the publication expressed their interest in the Russian company Orsis. "Orsis" is still damp, but I'm sure that they will finish it and everything will be fine, ”the officer of the Airborne Forces notes. His colleague from the internal troops emphasizes that the T-5000 is produced in Russia: “ Now the difficult international situation, and foreign firms can refuse service. Even if you just need to modify the rifle, it is much more difficult to contact an Austrian or Finnish company than our Russian one. If necessary, I can drive up to Orsis at any time and solve all the problems».

Sniper rifle T-5000

The officers of the Ministry of Defense using the Manlichers note that from the point of view of ergonomics there are no special complaints about the rifles. According to a sniper from the Airborne Forces, the only thing that was additionally installed for the SSG-04 was the so-called suppressors, nozzles for sound attenuation.

« In fact, these are silencers that mask the sound of a shot, but since the bullet is not subsonic, when it exits the bore it overcomes the supersonic barrier and a pop is heard. It's much quieter with a suppressor.", - explains the officer of the Airborne Forces.

On MTs-116 and SV-98, SOBR officers and officers of the internal troops buy new bipods on their own, preferring Harris products, linings and adapters for Piccatini and Vivera rails.

Both in the special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and in the units of the Special Forces of the Ministry of Defense, a bullpup is used. large-caliber 12.7 mm, also known under the designation 6S8 "Kord". SOBR TsSN is armed with a silent large-caliber . It should be noted that the Russian military department purchased a small batch of South African sniper rifles Truvelo .50.

« We use 12.7x108 mm ammunition as a sniper cartridge, and 12.7x99 mm in the South African rifle, also known as NATO .50BMG. According to the characteristics, this cartridge is better than ours. True, the Truvela itself is a very specific rifle. The recoil is so strong that the first shot moves you from your spot. After a couple of days, your shoulder, spine hurt a lot, and you even go to the toilet more often, so the return on the kidneys affects”, - a special forces officer shares his feelings.

A colleague from the internal troops adds that firing from most large-caliber rifles generally affects health not in better side: “It's not only problems with the spine, lower back, etc. The pressure formed after the shot negatively affects the eyeball and the fundus. We have only Kord in our unit, while others have . In OSV-96, due to the flame arrester and the design of the rifle itself, the recoil momentum is less than that of the 6S8. But Korda has slightly higher accuracy.

Large-caliber 12.7 mm sniper rifle ASVK

Silent large-caliber sniper complex VSK "Exhaust"

All units are armed with not only simple SVD, but also SVD-S with a folding butt. However, all interviewed snipers emphasized that they prefer to use pre-1970 SVDs. " Until that time, the rifle was produced with a rifling pitch of 320 mm, but later, so that not only special sniper ammunition could be fired from the SVD, the pitch was made 240 mm, and this greatly affected accuracy", - explains the officer of the internal troops.

His colleague from the Airborne Forces emphasizes that from the "old" SVD, an experienced shooter can put bullets in a circle equal to one so-called Minute of Angel - Minute of Angel (1MOA - hitting a bullet in a circle with a diameter of 2.98 cm from a distance of 100 meters). New rifles fit only 2 MOA.

I see the target!

SOBR and special forces of the internal troops have certain difficulties with standard sights for bolt rifles. " We regularly run PPO-3, PPO-5 and POSP. Can't say it's the best option. For example, they have to be "reset" when used every day. True, Leupold and Night Force have now appeared. But there is technical problems, because on the MTs-116 and SV-98 the sight is mounted on the so-called dovetail, and all modern sights are mounted on the Piccatini or Vivera bar. You have to look for adapters for your money, then modify them.

But even here a problem arises: due to the adapter, the sight turns out to be higher than the place of the standard installation, which means that the aiming line “lifts up”, which is not very good", - said the officer of the internal troops. According to him, now the Russian 5-20 sight of the Dedal company has appeared in the unit. The same ones are already regularly starting to be delivered to the SOBR.

“If we compare the Night Force sight and the Dedalovsky 5-20, then the latter has lighter optics. When you look through the Night Force, there's too much yellow color. When shooting at night, it is important to adjust the illumination of the reticle. When you look at a bright object, for example, at the illuminated window of a house, you need to increase the brightness, and decrease it in the night forest. Often this has to be done very quickly so as not to lose the target. On the Night Force, you need to open a special compartment, get a screwdriver from there and twist the backlight with it. And at 5-20 there is a special rubberized button, you press it and there are no problems, ”an officer of the internal troops issues a conclusion.

In addition, the 5-20 scope has a so-called blockage level indicator. " When shooting at night, there is a chance that you will miss the scope. It is clear that in this case, especially at long range, it will not work. It is very easy to make such a mistake on our scopes. At 5-20, if you deviate the sight even one degree, the reticle starts flashing until you straighten the sight”, - sums up the officer of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

SOBR snipers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs put not only on the SV-98 and MTs-116, but also on the Finnish TRG various Leupold sights purchased with their own money.

The officers of the Ministry of Defense are also not fully satisfied with the standard sights on their Mannlichers. “The Leupold Mark-4 is a so-called multi-turner, when you enter corrections, you have to spin the drums for too long, so there is a big chance of losing zero,” says an airborne officer.

For night shooting in the Airborne Forces and GRU special forces, special nozzles are used - night vision devices installed in front of the lens of an optical sight. " At 500 meters you are already shooting at the silhouette. Light loss on the nozzle itself plus on the sight - that's the result. But I think that for rifles of such a class as the SSG-04 and SSG-08, it is better to make a separate night sight combined with a thermal imager, or just a thermal imaging sight. We don't have these yet.”, complains an officer of the Airborne Troops.

In the special forces of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, not only regular night sights DS-4 and DS-6 are used, but also nozzles, including thermal imaging ones. “There are no special claims to DS. With these scopes, I shot even at long ranges and fit into 1 MOA. A good night attachment is the American PVS-27, but it is very expensive. True, we sometimes manage to take them through acquaintances and friends. When performing service and combat missions, we mainly work at a distance of 350-500 meters, so it is much more convenient to put a nozzle in front of the sight, ”explains an officer of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

According to him, on the last business trip, the snipers of his unit managed to test the Infratek thermal imaging nozzle: “ The weather was bad. Fog. Visibility 5-10 meters. And through the nozzle, I could freely conduct aimed fire at 250-300 meters. There are much better products, from the same Daedalus, but, alas, they are not purchased for us».

To be continued…

Most civilians have the word " sniper» is associated with the image of a shooter who always hits the target (in any conditions and from any distance). Some people have heard that the sniper does not shoot at everything that moves, but only at the most important targets: officers, signalmen, etc. But few people know that perhaps the most important task of an army sniper in a war is to provide continuous psychological pressure on enemy soldiers, to suppress their combat activity to the maximum. Such combat work bears the name generally accepted in military literature " sniper terror».
During the battle, snipers act alone, more often in pairs. Sometimes, in individual moments combat, it is expedient to use snipers centrally on the scale of a company or even a battalion, which makes it possible to increase the fire impact on the enemy in the main direction at a decisive moment.
When acting as part of a sniper pair, duties are distributed as follows: one sniper conducts observation (observer), the other fires (fighter). The sniper-observer conducts reconnaissance, target designation and fire adjustment in the interests of the sniper-fighter, who hits the identified targets with well-aimed fire, after 20-30 minutes they can change roles. This tactic allows snipers to be constantly in good shape, because long-term surveillance dulls the sharpness of perception of changes occurring on the battlefield. Sometimes they can fire at the same time.
Sniper groups (4-6 snipers and a machine-gun crew) can be created to reach the flank and rear of the enemy and inflict sudden fire damage on him.
The task of snipers in combat is to find and destroy by fire the most important targets (enemy officers, members of ATGM crews, mortar and gun crews, snipers, observers, etc.), thereby ensuring successful operations for their unit.
In offensive combat, when attacking the forward edge of the enemy defenses, snipers are located in the center of the battle formation or on its flanks and fire at enemy firing points that create the most unfavorable conditions for an offensive. They move on the battlefield from one cover to another, using terrain folds whenever possible.
When fighting in the depths of the enemy's defense, the actions of the sniper should be the most proactive and aimed at destroying fire weapons that hinder the development of the offensive. Snipers can also be used to cover the flanks.
In some cases, company or platoon commanders may leave a sniper near them to solve suddenly arising tasks.
In defensive combat, snipers take their place in their unit's battle formation and are used to secure seams and flanks. Snipers can also act jointly with combat guards to destroy enemy officers, observers and scouts. During the years of the Great Patriotic War such a method of action of snipers as sorties of pairs of snipers for ambushes and free "hunting" in the neutral zone behind their wire fences and minefields was widespread.
When snipers operate in front of our front line or on the front line, they perform the following tasks before the start of the enemy offensive:

• destroy the most important targets, as well as targets inaccessible to conventional weapons;
• they monitor the enemy in order to identify signs of preparing him for an attack, changing positions, withdrawing, etc. In this case, special attention must be paid to obstacles in front of the front line of the enemy’s defense. A clear sign of an impending attack may be the making of passages by sappers in their minefields;
• study the location of the enemy, his fire weapons, observation and command posts and other important objects.

During the fire preparation of an attack by the enemy, it is advisable to have some snipers in the forward positions, from where they can destroy forward artillery observers, air controllers, crews of fire weapons withdrawn for direct fire, etc., and also monitor the enemy in order to timely reveal the moment going on the attack.
With the transition of the enemy to the attack, snipers fire first of all at the officers, soldiers who have pulled ahead, and at the crews of fire weapons supporting this attack.
When the enemy is wedged into the defense, snipers, acting as part of their subunits, concentrate fire against the wedged enemy or advance to the flanks of the enemy and flanking fire inflict defeat on his manpower and firepower.
Depending on the situation and the nature of the fighting, snipers may remain behind enemy lines. In this case, in addition to destroying manpower, they can destroy (disable) radio stations, helicopters on jump sites and other important objects, create in the minds of enemy officers and soldiers the image of a killer sniper who is everywhere and nowhere. The image of danger doubles, traumatizing the consciousness, gives rise to extremely painful sensations and experiences. Being in the agonizing expectation of death, a person gets tired over time, which leads to depression, to heart or gastrointestinal diseases. Due to a prolonged nervous load, the relationship between military personnel may be disrupted (mutual insults, suspicions, quarrels, etc. intensify).
To become a master in any field, you have to work hard and practice. A sniper is a person who has mastered the art of marksmanship, camouflage and observation to perfection.
History is rich in life examples of techniques and methods used on the battlefield. Many of them are relevant today.
“In the art of misleading the enemy, the Zaporozhye Cossacks were real masters. It is necessary for the Cossack to find out what is being done with the Turks, and they are located on the bare sandy shore: the place is open, you can’t get close. But the Cossack will strip naked, smear himself with clay, and then let's ride on the sand. He will dress from head to toe in a sandy caftan, only his eyes shine, and crawls ashore. He will look out for everything, but not a single Turk will notice him.
On their canoes, the Cossacks sailed both to the mouth of the Danube and to the shores of distant Anatolia. A large Turkish ship will chase after them. Its wide yellow sails carry it swiftly. The black muzzles of cannons look menacing. And you can’t fight him, and you can’t get away from him on the oars. Then the Sich people will be raked out in the sun and the blinded Turks lose sight of them for a while. And the Cossacks will go to the shore, flood the canoes, and themselves - under the water. They stand at the bottom and breathe through tubes made of reeds.
Ataman Ermak showed remarkable Cossack intelligence in battles with the Siberian Khan Kuchum. He sailed with his squad on plows along the Tobol. Scouts reported to him that the noble Kuchumov official - Yesaul Alyshai - where the coast was crowded to the coast, blocked the river with chains, guarding the Russians. Yermak ordered bundles of brushwood to be tied up and caftans to be put on. As they began to approach the ambush, they seated stuffed animals on the plows. Yermak left only the helmsmen on the plows, and went ashore with the rest of the squad. Buried behind the bushes, the Cossacks advanced towards the ambush. The planes swam up to the chains, began to pile up in a pile. Alyshai waved his saber. Arrows flashed, the Alyshaev warriors climbed onto the plows. Then a Cossack squad unexpectedly hit them in the back. After a fierce battle, having lost half of the soldiers, Alyshai barely made his way to the forest.
The ability to remain invisible was the main rule of all Cossack military art. Before receiving a horse and weapons, the young Cossack was put to the test: he had to lie for several hours in the reeds, grass or bushes under the very nose of the enemy and not reveal himself with a single movement.
Hunting tricks and dexterity were passed down from generation to generation among the Cossacks. The Black Sea scouts (scouts) were especially sophisticated in the fight against such a vicious and dexterous enemy as the Turks. You had to keep your eyes open with them, but the scouts knew how to disappear literally in front of their pursuers. (Petrov V.V. Snipers Encyclopedia of military art. - M. 1997. - 624 p.)
The old hunter and dashing scout Uncle Eroshka in L. N. Tolstoy's story "The Cossacks" scolded officers who, flaunting their courage, prance in front of the enemy in full view. “When you go camping, be smarter, listen to me, the old man,” he said to Olenin. - When you have to be on a raid or a campaign (after all, I’m an old wolf, I’ve seen everything), but if they shoot, you don’t go in a heap, where there are a lot of people ... The worst thing is here: they aim at the people. I used to stay away from the people, I go alone: ​​I have never been wounded ... Otherwise, your brothers all like to go to the hillocks. So one of us lived, he came from Russia, he all went to the hillock ... As soon as the hillock envies, he will jump. Ran once. Jumped out and happy. And the Chechen shot him, and killed him. Eh, the Chechens are deftly shooting from the pods! There is a catcher for me. I don't like how they kill so badly. I used to look at your soldiers, I marvel! That's stupidity! They all go cordial in a heap, and even sew red collars. How not to get here!..”
Before the Sevastopol company of 1854-1855. before the eyes of the enemy, not only ardent young men, having read romantic stories, flaunted, but entire armies. Infantry in those days, according to A. V. Suvorov, was "great density." Looking at the army lined up before the battle, one might think that it was not commanded by a commander, but by a theater director. Even, as if drawn by a ruler, ranks of infantry, dense, like fields, squadrons, towering in colored squares above the plain, white belts on blue, orange and scarlet uniforms, plumes, magnificent plumes of guards caps - all this seemed to be on display. With the advent of breech-loading long-range rifles, the dense lines of infantry, which beat off a step under the drum, hesitated. The shooter, who received a new gun, could now, lying on the ground, start a firefight from 500 and even from 1000 meters. Under the frequent and well-aimed fire of breech-loading rifles, the close formation crumbles. Fleeing from the destructive lead, the soldier changes his colorful uniform for a protective tunic, hides in pits and depressions, crawls on his stomach. The soldier burrows into the ground, and where the picture of marching columns used to open, desertedness reigns. With the introduction of smokeless powder, the treacherous cloud also disappeared, which, like a ball of cotton, hung over the shooter and, as it were, indicated to the enemy: “Look! Here!"
Having dug into the ground and repainted their guns and vehicles in protective colors, the army, as it were, put on a fabulous invisibility cap. Already in the first world war(1914-1918) a sea of ​​paint - green, yellow, gray, brown - went to merge the color of cannons, machine guns and uniforms of fighters with the color of grass, sand and earth.
Special factories produced amazing products: stumps, trees, grave crosses and swamp hummocks. They looked exactly like real ones, only they were made of steel. Hiding behind the armor of these "masks", invisible observers saw everything that was happening with the enemy.
In 1916 the war on the French front took on a positional character. Opponents, buried in the ground, stood in one place for months and knew literally every peg. The space between the trenches - the "no man's land" - was studied with microscopic care. Each empty tin can thrown out of the trench was immediately subjected to fierce shelling. It seemed that there was nothing to think about in order to build a new observation post almost in front of the enemy, but this is what the French came up with.
In one place, in no man's land, the soil bulged out like a mound. Both lines of trenches crossed the Paris road here. At the top of the mound, which gave a magnificent overview of the German positions, there was a stone pillar, and on it was a plaque with the inscription: so many kilometers to Paris.
The French took a picture of this stone and sent it to the factory. There they cast an exact copy from steel, hollow inside, with a hole for the observer. They made a plaque and an inscription. At night, French scouts put a steel fake instead of a real stone. From the trench to this unique observation post, they dug a communication path. For more than a month, a French observer sat in an imaginary stone and, without interference, followed what was happening in the enemy's trenches. The Germans did not guess about this trick.
In another place, also convenient for observation, lay the corpse of a Bavarian huntsman. The huntsman was already of enormous height, and then he was still swollen from the heat. The French also photographed him, ordered a steel double from the factory and dressed him in a Jaeger uniform. At night, the metal Bavarian lay down in the place of his rotting brother. The observer was comfortably located in the "corpse".
Our Siberian shooters in the Carpathians (1915) did without factory equipment. In the mountain valleys lie granite boulders, densely dressed with moss. Siberians carefully removed the moss cover from the granite and fixed it on a wire frame. It made a great mask. You will not suspect deceit even ten steps away. The shooter will climb into the moss cap, make a few holes and beat to choose from. It is necessary to change position - the "boulder" slowly, centimeter by centimeter, crawls to the side. He did this with the endurance and patience of a taiga hunter. More than once it happened that such “boulders” crawled close to the Austrian trenches and, having looked out for everything that was needed, safely returned to their own.
A sniper's best friend is terrain. In the forest, trees, stumps, twigs, heaps of brushwood hide it, in swamps - reeds and sedges, on arable land - furrows and borders, on stubble - stacks, shocks and unharvested bread. In the city, a sniper expanse - houses, attics, basements, walls and fences, sewer wells and factory pipes seem to be specially created to hide him from a dashing eye. Even in the bare steppe you can find good shelter - dunes, tumbleweed bushes, stones and rocks half covered with sand
But the nature of all this must be known well, otherwise you will get into trouble. There is, for example, a tall pine tree in a clearing. The branches are thick, the view is good and it is convenient to shoot. And if you climb on it, you will repent bitterly. Individual items always attract the attention of the enemy. He also knows very well that a scout or a sniper can hide on such a pine tree. The sniper moved a little - and disappeared. Trees for camouflage must be chosen wisely. A sniper will not notice that there are many nests on a birch - he will take a sip of grief. If a crow or a rook frightens away, they will scream, they will start running around and raise such an alarm that even the blind will see.
The hunter, when sneaking up on game, always observes two very important rules. First, he makes sure that the objects behind him and serving him as a background - trees, bushes, mountains - are approximately the same color as his clothes. Secondly, if he notices that the game is alert, he freezes in place and lies motionless, like a stone, until she calms down. So does the sniper.
He is especially attentive to his movements. The movement is a terrible traitor. It attracts the observer's eye like a magnet to an iron needle.
The tallest grass, the tallest branches will not hide a sniper if he moves carelessly.
And it is not easy to notice an experienced warrior even in open areas. Either he crawls slowly, millimeter by millimeter, without stirring a single blade of grass, then he runs across with such speed that it seems to an outside observer that it was the shadow of a bird, then he freezes like a statue, and lies for hours without moving a single muscle.
Shine also becomes a dangerous traitor. The glasses of the binoculars glisten in the sun, the sight, bayonet, metal items of clothing and equipment glisten. The observer knows this well. A little sunbeam played somewhere, he was already alert and looks out for what is the reason for this.
During the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945), Soviet sniper Mikhail Malov was once asked what, in his opinion, was a dangerous unmasking sign. "Shine!" - without hesitation, the sniper answered. “Recently, a button on my tunic came off. I sewed on an unpainted copper one and forgot about it. I had to take the gun out. And our company stood in a moss swamp. I sewed bunches of moss on myself everywhere, smeared the helmet with clay and also stuck moss, and smeared my face with grass: there is such a juicy one, I don’t remember what it’s called, just touch it - all hands are green. Made up for conscience. Between the bumps and wild rosemary I crawled up to the Germans, looking out. I didn’t lie for three minutes, suddenly “chvak - a bullet,“ chvak! - second. This shoulder scratched. Noticed. I'm going back. Well - there was a funnel, plopped into it. I get upset and think: “What is my shortcoming?” This is where I saw the button. Shines, cursed, shines with heat - June, the sun. I almost died because of her."
This "traitor" is wary of every fighter who sniffed gunpowder, and especially a sniper. Going out on a mission, he carefully insures himself against brilliance. He smears the helmet with mud if there is no cover, and if it snows, he pastes it over with paper. The rifle “powders”: lubricates the barrel with grease, and sprinkles sand or earth over the oil. In winter, wrap it with a white bandage.
One of our most talented snipers, Abdul Seferbekov, made a tube out of birch bark and put it on an optical sight to hide the shine of the lens. In the bushes, if the position was reliable and he expected to settle there for a long time, he built a hut from branches and leaves over the sight.
There is an old tale about how a man sold his shadow, and then missed it very much. Any sniper will willingly give up his shadow for nothing, and even give something in addition. He will not yearn for her and, on occasion, will remember her with an unkind word for her tricky nature.
A sniper makes his way behind the wall, the sun shines on his back. He did not have time to reach the corner, and the enemy was already waiting for him. Who issued? Own shadow, stretched out to two heights and running forward. Everywhere she hurries with a denunciation. On a moonlit night it is imprinted on the snow with a blue silhouette, it will tremble in dark ripples on the water and, as if cut out of black paper, will lie on the sand on a hot afternoon. Fortunately, the sniper knows the right way to get rid of an obsessive companion. It is worth hiding in someone else's shadow, as your own will disappear without a trace. The shadows of houses, trees, fences, hills not only destroy the "informer", but also hide the sniper.
Every soldier, and especially a sniper, must always be on the alert. It is given out by a branch swaying in calm weather; V hard frost gives off steam from breathing; give out wilted leaves when all around is green; gives out a flash of a shot, a careless step, a deadwood that cracked under his foot. It is difficult to list all the unmasking signs. The list would be huge and yet incomplete.
A smart soldier has a disguise at hand. Spruce paws, leaves, reeds, moss can be found everywhere. The sand lies - the sniper will bury himself in the sand, the snow will turn into a snowdrift. He doesn't get along in the city either. Here he will be rescued by piles of bricks, sheets of roofing iron, crumbling plaster or lined equipment.
In the factory district of Stalingrad, on a very important site, there were several iron gasoline storage facilities. In one of them, riddled with fragments of bombs and shells, our sniper sat down. There was a fierce battle here. Even Stalingraders, accustomed to everything, said that “you smoke shag from the same pouch with death at the gas depots.” Several times the line passed from hand to hand, and the sniper remained in place, unnoticed by the enemy.
Not far from Leningrad, Soviet troops blew up the railway bridge across the Neva during their retreat. Two farms adjoining the occupied shore Soviet troops, remained intact, and the third, twisted by the explosion, hung in the air. Sniper V. I. Pchelintsev crawled here along the railway track and hid under the crosshairs of the beams, almost in the very middle of the river. It was very cold. The iron farms were covered with hoarfrost, and Pchelintsev felt the frost getting under his sheepskin coat. I wanted to stretch my stiff body, but it was impossible to move, and he only moved his fingers vigorously. It was not fun to lie in the frosty wind in the icy beams, but on the other hand, the positions of the enemy were clearly visible from here. The Nazis thickly braided the edge of the coast with coils of thin wire, then a fence on low stakes stretched, and even further - dugouts and trenches that went into the forest. When the enemy appeared, Pchelintsev did not feel how the cold metal of the shutter burned his fingers. He was applied carefully so that the eyepiece of the sight did not fog up from breathing.
Despite the chilling cold, Pchelintsev spent a week sniper fire from the destroyed bridge. He killed seventeen Nazis, spotted and mapped enemy dugouts and machine-gun emplacements, which were later destroyed by our artillery fire. The Nazis began firing mortars at the bridge when the sniper had already changed position.
The actor constantly has to change his costume, gait, make-up. It was not for nothing that the actor was called a play-actor. A poorly made-up actor, in the worst case, is threatened by the whistle of an indignant public, a poorly disguised sniper - the whistle of an enemy bullet.
In battle, the slightest mistake can be fatal, so the sniper, leaving for a firing position, dresses in the most careful way to confuse the enemy. In this case, it must be remembered that a sniper in green on a grassy lawn is invisible. But as soon as he crawls onto arable land or approaches a log hut, he will immediately give himself away. A green silhouette on black soil or against a brown wall will be visible from afar. In this situation, a camouflage robe is indispensable. Green spots will merge with grass and leaves, brown spots with clay and pine trunks, gray spots with sand, rocks, concrete walls, black spots with black earth and charred beams, white spots with snow.
If a sniper in a camouflage coat and a lizard that changes its color bet on which of them will be better able to become invisible in the most diverse environments, bet, reader, on the sniper. The tropical lizard will surely lose the bet.
The mistake of our military theorists lies in the fact that the sniper, as a military specialty, is considered in the complex of the entire fire training of subunits. Usually, the company commander hands the recruit the first weapon that comes into his hands, writes down the number on his military ID, and from that day on, the soldier who received the sniper rifle is called a sniper.
In most countries of the world, snipers are trained in special training centers for three to six months. The selection is made on a competitive basis, out of 20-30 candidates only one remains, but the best one.

The end of February was marked by the Fifth International Special Forces Sniper Competition, which took place at the training ground in Balashikha. 23 teams took part in the tournament, consisting of servicemen of various special forces units of Russia and Belarus. All the prizes were taken by the Belarusians, so the 1st and 3rd places went to the teams special unit in the fight against terrorism "Almaz" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, 2nd place - the fighters of group "A" of the KGB of the Republic of Belarus won. Next, we offer a look at how these competitions were held.

The main goal of the tournament is to exchange experience and test the level of training of sniper pairs in shooting at short distances, in conditions as close as possible to combat.
Of the mandatory: to participate in the competition, each shooter must have one rifle with an optical sight and a whole arsenal of equipment and equipment strictly established by the rules of the tournament. Exchange of equipment is strictly prohibited. Even inside a sniper pair.

Compete with their regular weapons. This may be the familiar Dragunov sniper rifle, and Heckler & Koch. Everything depends not so much on habit as on the financial capabilities of the ministries and departments that include sniper units.

The various types of weapons of the tournament participants do not interfere with a fair fight, the judges say. Exercises are performed at distances from 40 to 200 meters. At this distance, all rifles solve problems relatively equally. At the same time, one should not forget that in the “rifle-sniper” scheme, the main place is occupied by a person and his skills.

Every year the competition becomes more difficult. For example, an exercise with a moving target is included in the annual program, but individual elements may differ significantly: there may be two targets, not one, or they may move from left to right, and not vice versa. Tasks may be repeated from year to year, but the element of novelty is always present.

The collection and draw before the tournament took place on the basis of the Vityaz special training center near Moscow. From there, groups of snipers made an eight-kilometer forced march to the shooting range. The main part of the route went through the forest, but there were sections where the fighters crossed the route. The reaction of passing motorists to groups of snipers in full combat gear with weapons at the ready can only be imagined. And if it's no joke, then the time for the march to the shooting range is limited, and if the team does not arrive at the control point on time, "everyone, goodbye, regardless of the reasons."

Exercise #1 - Ambush Work

This exercise has several elements. The first is an impromptu tunnel - an imitation of advancement to a firing position in a plastunsky manner.

Further, at the turn of the opening of fire, the deuce independently produces a “volley” at destructible targets. The task is to simultaneously fire a shot, in the lexicon of snipers called a doublet. Bricks are set on scales, and if one brick breaks, the second one will fall. The pair must work in sync.

The next stage is the identification and defeat of an unexpectedly appearing anatomical target. For a certain period of time, two groups of targets appear simultaneously - waist and "head". There are scoring zones on the targets, which means it is important not only to hit, but to hit the enemy “to death”. Each sniper has three rounds - one for each target.

The exercise is evaluated as follows: in case of a miss or mistake, points are deducted, if the target is successfully hit, points are awarded. For example, if you miss at least one destructible target - minus 100 points, for hitting an anatomical target in the zone of instant death - plus 25 points, but a seriously wounded enemy will bring only 15 points.

Exercise #2 - Working from a Vehicle

Snipers are inside the car and shoot at a target - a target, which is "hidden" behind a barrier - a double-glazed window. This simulates the execution of a police operation. The task is to hit the target at a distance of 100 meters through a double-glazed window in a limited time (45 seconds). Each sniper has his own target. Arrows produce a simultaneous "volley". The time between shots must not exceed 0.3 seconds.

Glass breaks on impact, the bullet can fragment and change the flight path. Therefore, the sniper must know how the ammunition behaves, understand the structure of the bullet, correctly calculate the distance from the glass to the target. Shooting must take into account all these factors.

Exercise number 3 - High-rise

A sniper pair is firing from a high-rise building. The bottom line is this: the group receives a photograph - an orientation. Storming the building, the deuce takes a position from which a shot is fired at a target corresponding to the orientation.

The distance to the target is 250 meters. Only one target is hit, all the rest are hostages. After the shot, both snipers must hastily evacuate along the outer wall of the building using climbing equipment.

If the arrows did not meet the time limit, an explosion occurs, simulating the beginning of a mortar attack. This means that the mission has failed and the sniper pair is considered destroyed.

The evaluation is based on two indicators: the time to complete the task and the quality of hitting the target. The exercise time is 1 minute 45 seconds.

Exercise #4 - Moving Target

Two pillars, between them is a moving target that needs to be hit. The sniper pair takes up a prone position and shoots at a target that is moving at the speed of a running person. The distance to the target is 170 meters, the time to shoot is the time the target moves from one "shelter" to another.

Shooters do not know the speed of movement - there is no preliminary display. They only know that the target will move from right to left. The fighters must calculate the distance, approximate trajectory and speed of movement, and then shoot.

There are two options for firing - with escort, when the shooter follows the movement of the target, or on the approach. Snipers shoot at the same time, but synchronism is not so important here. The speed of the target is unknown, which means that you need to actually shoot into the void, relying solely on your experience.

In this case, the target has no kill zones, it is important to just hit here without killing a civilian or, as the shooters call them, a “grandmother”. She has nothing to do with a gray-haired old woman and can look like anything. A young guy may be depicted on the target, but it will still be a “grandmother” for the shooter.

Exercise number 5 - Targets from the rear

When performing a combat mission, a sniper detects an enemy group from the rear. His task is to quickly switch to a backup weapon (in this case, a pistol) and hit the enemy. The exercise is performed individually, but the result of the sniper pair is still evaluated. The distance is up to 10 meters, the number of shots is not limited, the position for shooting is arbitrary, the time to complete the exercise is four seconds.

On the one hand, everything is extremely clear. The main difficulty lies in the fact that the targets are from the rear and not all of them are "enemies". Among them there are also "grandmothers". Within four seconds, the shooter must not only hit targets, but also not hit a civilian. At the same time, the sniper does not see the target before the start of the competition, but their small details distinguish them. So, the guy in the picture could be a killer with a gun, or just a passer-by with a bottle of beer.

On one target - a journalist. But on another target, the same girl is already holding a gun, not a microphone.

Killed enemy - 20 points, seriously wounded - 15, lightly wounded - 10 points. If there is no hit in the offender, then the exercise is not counted - 0 points. Killed hostage - minus 50 points.

Exercise number 6 - Classic

Hundred-meter shooting range. Here they test the ability to shoot in difficult, stressful situations. In three minutes, you need to have time to run 500 meters to the firing position from the starting line, take up a position for shooting and hit the target. Each shooter has five rounds. The three best shots from each sniper of the pair are taken into account.

After a run, it is difficult to recover your breath, focus and prepare yourself for shooting. The faster the shooter runs, the more time he will have to fire.

Drill #7 - Hostage Targets

Final exercise. The range to the target is 200 meters, the number of rounds is one for each shooter in a pair. After the timer signal, five seconds are given for the shot. Split - the interval between shots of fighters in a pair - no more than 0.3 seconds. Both the total time and the interval between shots of snipers in a deuce are evaluated.

This is where synchronicity is essential. There are two difficulties: the first is not to get into a hostage, and in this case a hostage, the second - at the moment of firing, a series of explosions distracting attention and making it difficult to aim is made. Hitting the "terrorist" - 50 points, that is, the maximum sniper pair can earn at this stage is 100 points.

The competitions were held in the traditional format for one day and included seven exercises. 23 teams from various law enforcement agencies took part in the tournament Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. The organizers were: the Fund "Support and development of tactical fire skills" and the Federation of Precision Shooting of Russia.

Sniper groups consist of pairs, triplets and fours. Most often, snipers are used as part of sniper pairs. The use of snipers in pairs allows them to more effectively provide mutual security; increases the time of active work (due to load distribution); allows you to deploy, find and destroy targets faster; reduces psycho-emotional overload.

Snipers in a pair are designated by numbers. The first number is a shooter with a rifle, the second number is armed with support weapons. This can be either a self-loading rifle (SVD could fit this role if there was a grenade launcher), or an assault rifle with a grenade launcher, since the second number, in particular, is responsible for close fire contacts that may occur during advancement to a firing position. It is very important to understand that the second number, in fact, is the main one in the pair. At first glance, this may seem paradoxical, since the first number shoots. But shooting is not the hardest part, I mean pulling the trigger. The most difficult thing is to calculate this shot. And that's exactly what the second number does.

The duties of the second number, in addition to preparing data for firing, include the selection and assignment of priority targets, the preparation and verification of special equipment. He leads the march, he is the leader. And all the measures for the defense of the couple lie mainly on it. During the exit to the firing position, he follows the first number, that is, he becomes the follower. He covers the first number from pursuit, because he has a weapon that allows him to suppress targets at close range. Together with the first number, he participates in the preparation of long-term field shelters, draws up sketches and fire cards. His word is decisive in determining the distance to the target. He observes with a telescope, evaluates the wind, measures meteorological parameters, conducts all ballistic calculations and informs the first number of the finished correction, which must be displayed on the sight. It takes into account the change in the wind and gives the command to the first number to open fire when it considers that the settings that are made on the sight correspond to the wind that is currently available. He also uses radio communications. Records all reconnaissance information along the route. Directs and coordinates support units, if any. Installs special equipment, including explosive devices and so on. Removes traces of stay when leaving a position. Who will now argue with the fact that this is the main number in the pair?

Another function of the second number, which needs to be emphasized in particular, is the hit score. It is not always possible to evaluate a hit at long ranges without resorting to special methods. There is a method for evaluating a hit using a telescope, which has long been developed in the West and is actively used in sniper art. The method is as follows. The flight of a bullet is very clearly visible through the pipe. More precisely, it is not the bullet itself that is visible, but the swirl that the bullet leaves behind. This can only be done by properly positioning the observer relative to the shooter.

The basic principle (although it does not always work, and again, you need to have experience in order to find the correct position before the shot) -  is to be located strictly along the axis of the bore just behind and above the butt of the weapon.

The second number evaluates whether a hit has occurred or not, according to a given vortex wake. The first shot must always be made precisely by setting the required number of vertical and horizontal corrections on the drum (the so-called basic correction). But the second shot must be fired with a takeaway (operational correction). The second shot is fired on the basis of the hit evaluation made by the second number, preferably no later than 2-3 seconds after the first. This technique requires practical experience for a sufficiently long time.

The first number follows the second on the march and covers the rear. Removes traces throughout the march. Leads during the exit to the firing position, which is usually carried out with all the means and methods of camouflage. Leads while moving in the footsteps of the enemy. Observing with binoculars. Enters a correction for sight, wind, distance, angle and other parameters. He shares his opinion about the distance to the target, because after all this is a creative and collaborative process (in the absence of a laser rangefinder). It destroys manpower and material targets. He makes target designations to the unit, using tracers.

In fact, the leader of the pair is the second number. And maybe we should break the tradition and call him number one. But all over the world adhere to the classical numbering.

Although this has already been done in triplets and quadruples. Pairs are used mainly in military and police units. In special forces, for example, in the US Marine Corps Expeditionary Force (namely, its sniper groups intelligence units- Marine Force Unit), as well as in SEAL sniper teams, they prefer to work in threes. The primary weapon in the trio is a .50 caliber rifle(s), usually a Barrett M82 A1.

Responsibilities in sniper trios Marines distributed as follows: the first carries the front of the rifle (barrel), the second - the back, the third - the sight and ammunition. The arrow function is transitional. The functions inherent in the second number of the pair (commander of the sniper group), as a rule, are assigned to one person.

Troikas of SEAL snipers work like this: the first one is the most physically trained, "porter", carries all the equipment for communications and special equipment, can be the commander of the trio. The second - the shooter, carries the front of the rifle. The third is an observer, provides meteorological parameters and wind, carries the rear part, bolt, muzzle brake, ammunition, spyglass, range finder. Depending on the task, more than three people can be assigned to a sniper group.

The conscious use of fours occurred for the first time in the 1st Paratrooper Group of Special Operations Forces (1 Special Forces Group (Airborne). Their main task is to work on hard targets at a distance of up to 2.5 km. Among the main targets are ground installations, including including tactical missiles, air defense systems, i.e. any material targets, the detection of which from the air or from space during their inactive state is difficult. These groups are armed with four rifles, three of which are 50 caliber, that is, 12.7 mm. The fourth gunner is armed with a .338 Lapua Magnum rifle. He mainly works on manpower, he is responsible for the entire calculation of ballistic corrections and other things inherent in the group commander. He reports the data to the whole trio, which introduces a ready-made correction into the sight. He sets goals for them. He gives the command to open fire. In general, the lion's share of all the work is done by this second number, who is actually the "director of fire" in American military terminology, that is, the commander of the sniper group.

Vladislav Lobaev
Photo from the editorial archive
Brother 07-2009

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