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Nikolai Makarov, chief of the general staff, said that each brigade of the Russian Armed Forces would be given special unit consisting exclusively of snipers. Since in recent decades the course of hostilities has changed significantly, then in battle snipers are no less in demand than entire armadas of tanks. However, there are no corresponding sniper rifles in Russia, so the Russian military will have to buy it abroad.
Nikolay Makarov made a statement about special sniper units for each brigade of the armed forces to journalists, while at the same time complaining about the general quality of military equipment produced in Russia. For example, he spoke negatively about the newest Russian T-90S tank, which was exhibited in Nizhny Tagil and studied by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Makarov claims that the tank has a lot of flaws that need to be fixed before it can be put into service. True, at the same time, Makarov spoke positively about the tank’s shooting turret, saying that it is in no way inferior to the best foreign counterparts, and even surpasses it in some characteristics.
But at the same time, he argues that today the nature of the conduct of hostilities is changing significantly, so Russian gunsmiths must constantly adapt to this.
Makarov believes that today each brigade should be given a special sniper unit. Since today the role of snipers is increasing significantly, most of the hostilities are conducted precisely in cities.
Many domestic experts fully support this decision. Alexander Khramchikhin, head of the analytical department at the Institute for Military and Political Analysis, believes that this could be a useful innovation if all the necessary reforms are carried out correctly. Moreover, not so many resources are needed for implementation - snipers are usually recruited as privates and sergeants. It should be recalled that today a sniper is assigned to each company, but they did not undergo special training and did not perform combat missions on their own - only as part of a combat unit.
At the same time, a sniper unit can be used en masse, to destroy large concentrations of enemy manpower, or distributed among various units. It all depends on what tasks the unit faces at a particular moment. This is exactly what Andrei Frolov, an expert from the Center for Analysis of Technologies and Strategies, reports. It was decided to introduce such an innovation after studying the experience of the Chechen wars, as well as the Georgian campaign that took place in 2008.
Most likely, the weapons of snipers will be foreign rifles. Therefore, the Ministry of Defense is already purchasing sniper rifles from the British company Accuracy International.
British as well as Finnish rifles could be the best weapons for such special forces, Frolov argues. He believes that this market offers a fairly large selection, so you can give preference to the most suitable models.
However, the possibility is still not excluded that preference may be given to the old SVD, proven in battles around the world. However, Frolov believes that she has many shortcomings from the point of view of an experienced sniper. In total, at least 10 thousand rifles will be needed to arm the fighters of sniper units.
Frolov also spoke negatively about the quality of such domestic rifles as SV-98, SV-99, OSV-96 (caliber 12.7 mm).
At the same time, it should be recalled that over the past few years, the state defense order of Russia did not include sniper rifles at all. However, if the Department of Defense turns to the defense company, then specialists will be able to provide suitable designs that can satisfy all requirements with confidence.
In the suburbs, by the end of the month, shooting will be carried out using pistol, automatic and sniper weapons. Moreover, both Russian and foreign samples will take part here. Perhaps it is based on the results of these shootings that a decision will be made on the purchase of rifles.
In the course of a comprehensive study on the basis of the Totsk and Samara tactical combined arms formations of the combat capabilities of heavy and medium motorized rifle brigades, an analysis of the second stage began - the coordination of departments.
How the veteran's letter "shot"
As a result of organizational and regular measures, the number of snipers in motorized rifle companies of heavy and medium motorized rifle brigades doubled. With regard to the growth of their number in new tactical formations, the proposal of the reader of the Red Star, retired lieutenant colonel Vladimir Golubkov, was actually implemented (see the issue of March 17, 2009, “Sniping is in the spotlight”). In connection with the radical reorganization of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the transition to brigade formations, the veteran, in his letter to the newspaper, spoke in favor of the expediency of having a company of snipers in each motorized rifle brigade: “Local wars in Afghanistan and Chechnya indicated an urgent need to have sniper units. If they were in Afghanistan and Chechnya, then we would have suffered fewer losses and more successfully completed our tasks.”
However, as Colonel Andrey Serdyuk, head of the group of the Main Directorate for Combat Training and Service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, noted in his commentary on the development of the structure of sniper units, such units will be integrated into each brigade. Their number will be determined depending on the composition of the brigade and the tasks facing it. “At the same time, the company of snipers, which Vladimir Anatolyevich speaks about in a letter, is not needed as a whole in a combat situation, and in principle it is useless to manage it on the battlefield. Snipers may need to be trained as part of sniper units, but they will never fight as part of these units. As a result of organizational and regular measures, a company proposed by the veteran actually appeared in the average motorized rifle brigade - three dozen sniper pairs operating as part of motorized rifle companies and reconnaissance platoons of battalions.
Indeed, snipers fight either alone or in pairs. Except for those cases when, for example, three sniper pairs go out in the rear of the enemy as part of a raid group. But thanks to staff changes, today in each motorized rifle platoon during the battle there can be more than one full-time sniper, but their combat team, established back in the years of the Great Patriotic War, is a sniper pair. The battle order, like military pilots, where there is a leader and a follower: a sniper fighter and his inseparable partner sniper observer. The only difference is that it is easier for sharpshooters to switch roles with each other.
They can be separated from the sniper squad, which is part of the fire support platoon of a motorized rifle company. And as part of a raid detachment, even ten sniper pairs can go behind enemy lines - nine in three motorized rifle companies and one in a reconnaissance platoon of a motorized rifle battalion!
Snipers do not determine combat capability? 
In motorized rifle units, changes in the staffing of tactical formations more than doubled the effectiveness of marksman fire. But, unfortunately, the gain occurred only due to a quantitative increase in the number of snipers in the battle formations of motorized rifle platoons and companies and has not yet been backed up by the quality of their selection and level of training.
At the same time, it is emphasized that there is a low methodological level of training of platoon and squad commanders.
At the very least, but over the past year, commanders of rifle platoons and sniper squads were picked up in formations. Platoon commanders - ensigns and foremen - completed training courses at the all-army sniper training camp in Kovrov. True, it was not without drawbacks. For example, in the Totsk brigade, the platoon commander, senior warrant officer Vasily Derbenev, was forced to move to another position. As the chief of staff of the brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Viktor Elovenko, told Krasnaya Zvezda, the movement was purely due to personal qualities - the well-known "bad habit" of Derbenev himself. Ensign Dmitry Makarov from the Roshinsky motorized rifle brigade was also dismissed from the platoon - he was replaced by senior sergeant Alexander Zulkarnaev.
The training of snipers in brigades is mainly for the deputy commanders of formations. In the Totsk brigade - Colonel Konstantin Stepanishchev, in the Samara - Colonel Sergei Milchakov. Unfortunately, they lack full-time assistants - competent instructors-methodologists from among professionally trained ensigns and contract service sergeants who are able to take on planned training sessions with snipers, including during sniper brigade training. Moreover, fire support platoon commanders have to deal not only with the training of sniper squads, but also the personnel of the grenade launcher, machine gun squad and ATGM squad. It is very difficult to organize such exercises with heterogeneous primary units without well-trained sergeants. Especially in the interval between brigade gatherings of specialists.
Now the number of sniper squads in the formations has tripled. They appeared in every motorized rifle company. I had to look for commanders on them. And not all of them turned out to be the same people in love with sniper business as some of the pioneers were. All these reasons had a negative impact on the quality of sniper training.
And the first of the reasons leading to poor results in the training of snipers is the low quality of selection for these positions. In the context of the demographic crisis and the absence of a sniper movement in the country, it is more than difficult to staff all positions in motorized rifle units with high-quality human material.
It turns out that snipers "from the infantry" today cannot be equipped with contract soldiers, and reconnaissance snipers from the same motorized rifle battalions- can. Thus, "infantry snipers" in terms of recruitment priority are on a par with ordinary riflemen of motorized rifle companies armed with conventional machine guns. From among the conscripts sent to serve in motorized rifle units, selection is carried out as snipers-observers for motorized rifle companies.
Although no one has canceled the task of "deploying explanatory and propaganda work on the targeted selection of sergeants and soldiers in the troops for the military position of a sniper, while first of all selecting military personnel from among sportsmen-shooters, hunters-hunters, huntsmen". But it is very difficult to fulfill it, because, according to the officers of the recruitment departments of both formations, it is more than difficult for the commanders of motorized rifle companies to choose: shooters-athletes, hunters and huntsmen do not reach the “infantry”: they are sorted into the Border Troops, Airborne Forces, GRU special forces, marines and in part of other elite troops. Snipers in motorized rifle companies are not considered the military elite, and their positions are completed last.
However, in a rifle platoon, both the selection of people, their training, and the service of the troops are set at a noticeably higher level than in the sniper squad of a motorized rifle company.
At the operational-strategic exercise "Vostok-2010" your correspondent happened to fly on Far East, live and work in a rifle platoon of 38-year-old service foreman Arkady Kuzmichev of a separate motorized rifle brigade of the PUrVO. And this family friendly platoon remained in my memory, as did the chief of staff of the brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Denis Lyamin and the brigade commander, Colonel Anatoly Sinelnikov. Exemplary in military discipline, internal order, state of equipment. In addition to performing combat training tasks by a platoon at these strategic maneuvers, including in a raid detachment behind enemy lines, the brigade chief of staff used the subordinates of foreman Arkady Kuzmichev as his combat reserve to protect the brigade command post. And it was difficult to find the best guards: around the clock, the approaches to the command post of the formation were vigilantly viewed through the optics of day and night sights of the SVD. Along the way, the snipers of the brigade honed their skills in camouflage, covert radio communications, observation and determination of data on landmarks and training targets ...
True, Sergeant Major Arkady Kuzmichev noted with undisguised bitterness when he said goodbye that this autumn he was expecting the dismissal of 21 professional snipers in his platoon at once, that is, all senior sniper shooters and observer snipers. Therefore, he is preparing to recruit candidates for his "infantry snipers" from among the conscripts.
About military sports support 
Special Forces snipers have International competitions of sniper pairs of special forces units, dedicated to memory Viktor Lisovsky. And the International competition of snipers of special forces, dedicated to the memory of Captain Vladimir Berlin. The Border Guard Service of the FSB of Russia is proud of the championship in shooting from military handguns for the prize named after Army General Vadim Matrosov.
Until 2001, on the basis of the Combined Arms Academy, open championships of military snipers were held twice. They were attended by representatives of all military districts, the Baltic and Northern Fleets, the Airborne Forces, the Caspian Flotilla, the 201st Motorized Rifle Division, as well as snipers from the units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Federal Border Guard Service, and the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
As the head of the training and sports department of the SKA PUrVO, reserve major Valery Kutsekol, told the Krasnaya Zvezda correspondent, since 1986, on the initiative of the former head physical training and Sports of the Ground Forces, Colonel Mikhail Kozodoy, championships in shooting from standard weapons began to be held. The teams of military districts and groups of troops competed at these championships of the Ground Forces in shooting from machine guns, pistols and SVD rifles. Accordingly, championships were held in shooting from standard weapons of military districts and armies, in which well-aimed shooters from military units and formations, who shot well from Dragunov sniper rifles, took part. Snipers competed in hitting targets at the lines of 300, 500 and 700 meters. Unfortunately, there were no competitions in shooting from regular weapons at the championships of the Armed Forces.
According to the head of physical training of the 2nd Guards Army, Major Vitaly Popov, the participation of shooters from the SVD in the district sports days with standard weapons and the performance of SV-1, SV-3 exercises and duel shooting continued only until 2001. Then, only Kalashnikov assault rifles and Makarov pistols were left from small arms at these championships, and Dragunov sniper rifles were removed from shooting competitions. Allegedly due to the fact that SVD rifles are not in service in most military units - only in motorized rifle, reconnaissance and air assault units. As they say, the baby was thrown out with the water. So the remarkable undertaking of Colonel Mikhail Kozodoy on propaganda at the shooting competitions of the domestic sniper weapons in the first year of the 21st century, it has safely come to naught.
It was recommended to hold educational and methodological meetings with the leaders of sniper training classes with the involvement of the most trained officers and "coaches (athletes) of the sports club of the army of military districts (fleets) in shooting sports." But it seems that this recommendation was of a one-time nature. The head of the Guards Army department, Colonel Oleg Novak, noted to the Krasnaya Zvezda correspondent that they did not attract coaches and athletes of the SKA PUrVO in shooting sports either to the training camps with the leaders of sniper training classes, or to the training camps of snipers in motorized rifle brigades.
In the Central Sports Club located in Samara Air force The Krasnaya Zvezda correspondent was informed that the CSK VVS has a team for shooting types sports. The club serves and trains world-class athletes - champions and prize-winners Olympic Games. Including shooting from small-caliber and air rifles - majors Irina Gerasimenko and Lyubov Galkina, senior warrant officer Maria Feklistova. But they were not invited to train snipers in the troops.
The author was explained that the time of the general fashion for the Voroshilov shooters from Osoaviakhim had passed. As well as the need to learn to shoot from a combat rifle in order to fulfill the norm for the Voroshilovsky shooter badge of the II stage. (Recall that in the country before the Great Patriotic War, 9 million people who became owners of the Voroshilov shooter badge were taught to shoot accurately.) Shooting from large-caliber (regular) weapons is also not particularly popular today. Both in DOSAAF and in the Shooting Union of Russia. Therefore, even the All-Russian competitions in shooting from large-caliber weapons are held among men and juniors no more than once a year and no more than a hundred athletes gather at them. This is not at all the same base for training and educating snipers that was created before the Great Patriotic War from the many millions of "Voroshilov shooters".
About army and district rallies 
It is impossible today to talk about raising the prestige of military snipers without holding army and district rallies of sharpshooters. These were real military holidays, primarily for ordinary snipers-observers - those who are simply “from the infantry”.
At one time, your correspondent had to participate in the preparation and conduct by the headquarters of the Turkestan military district after 7 years of hostilities in Afghanistan, the first regional sniper meeting, which was originally planned as a meeting of snipers of the 40th Army. The initiator of that district sniper holiday was a talented senior officer, a member of the military council of the TurkVO, Lieutenant General Gennady Stefanovsky, who himself was a first-class shooter. Gennady Alexandrovich prompted the holding of sniper rallies in the warring armies and the district, based on the experience of the Great Patriotic War. He gave us a convincing example of the same 40th Army, but in wartime. In 1942-1943, she was commanded by Major General of Artillery and the future Marshal Soviet Union Kirill Moskalenko. By supporting and encouraging snipers, the command of that army during the war years achieved a significant increase in their numbers and skills. As a result, for example, in December 1942, 4,572 Nazis were destroyed by units and formations of the 40th Army of the Voronezh Front, including 2,193 snipers. That is, almost half of the destroyed soldiers and officers of the enemy! It was the army and front-line rallies of snipers that made the legendary heroes-shooters famous and famous throughout the country. For example, in the same 40th Army, he was the commander of a sniper company of the 25th Guards Division, Lieutenant Vasily Golosov, who destroyed 421 fascists and was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
During that gathering of snipers in the warring Turkestan military district, fire conferences were held with the exchange of experience of the best shooters of divisions, brigades of the 40th combined arms army and the entire TurkVO. There were performances by experienced fire officers, ostentatious firing. And, of course, rewarding snipers who distinguished themselves in the course of hostilities. And not with marks of excellent students, but with military awards - the medal "For Courage" and the Order of the Red Star.
They also invited the legendary sniper of the war years, retired colonel Vladimir Pchelintsev, to that “front-line” sniper rally. He fought in the 11th separate rifle brigade of the Leningrad Front, where in 1942 the sniper movement in our Armed Forces was born. He destroyed 456 enemy soldiers and officers, including 14 snipers, from his sniper rifle, for which he earned the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. A veteran front-line soldier arrived, spoke several times in various formations in front of young snipers of the 40th Army. They took pictures with him, and then all the participants of the army and district sniper rallies were awarded with these photos with the Hero.
But then something did not work out with eminent athletes and shooting coaches from CSKA. For, unlike the front-line hero from Moscow, they did not appear at that sniper rally. Let this be a private fact, but for almost three decades military service the author was convinced that we have long been accustomed to preparing snipers without the help and advice of shooters and their educators from army sports clubs.
Of the students of the initiator of the revival of army and front-line rallies, Colonel-General Gennady Stefanovsky, today, perhaps, only the head of the Main Directorate of Educational Work, Major-General Yuri Dashkin, is in the ranks. I am sure he did not forget those good lessons of our direct boss and teacher. For even today such army or district sniper meetings, shooting conferences at ranges can become great holidays for well-aimed shooters, a powerful catalyst and incentive for improving the training of snipers. And not only for them.
Previously, our gunsmiths from Tula, Izhevsk, Kovrov and other centers for the development and production of small arms, ammunition, and devices were out of direct contact with practitioners from the troops at such events. Today, our defense industry has accumulated certain problems. Therefore, representatives from the developers and creators of sniper rifles, day and night sights, and sniper cartridges can be invited to sniper rallies in military districts. Because the troops have many questions for the creators of weapons and ammunition for well-aimed shooters.
For example, in an interview with a Krasnaya Zvezda correspondent, the 32-year-old commander of the sniper squad, contract service junior sergeant Alexei Mansurov, holder of the Order of Courage, who accounted for 68 confirmed “liquidations”, shared his comments on the quality of the SV-98 rifle with the Hyperon sight (who, according to him, is afraid of even light concussions and blows). And sniper cartridges from the Novosibirsk Cartridge Plant, which give a fairly large spread of trajectories.
It seems that many practitioners in the army have such comments and wishes - experienced snipers, true masters of their craft. It is useful to listen to representatives of our defense industry. And, of course, the participants of sniper rallies will be interested to hear the speeches of the creators of weapons, ammunition, sights and other devices for super-sharp shooters - compact ballistic computers, weather stations, as well as new means of communication and equipment.
Main sniper caliber
Almost all the snipers of the motorized rifle brigades of the PUrVO, with whom the author of these notes had to talk, are caring people who care about their work. Who do not care what they are armed with and how they look, for example, in comparison with snipers from NATO countries. Senior sergeant Andrey Degterev, junior sergeants Alexei Mansurov and junior sergeant Vitaly Donchenko, private Sergey Navolokov did not hide the dream of a new rifle capable of replacing the fast-firing, reliable, comfortable, light, but already obsolete SVD for half a century. Especially its four-time daytime optical sight PSO-1M2, which does not allow accurate fire at the maximum possible ranges and reliably hit standard targets.
- The real range of well-aimed fire for a Dragunov sniper rifle with a four-fold sight, even for full-length figures, is about 600 meters, - Aleksey Mansurov got excited. - At the same time, for US and British snipers today, the task of hitting a headshot at a distance of 900 meters is being carried out. Because the accuracy of their current rifles is several times higher, and their sights can give an increase of up to 32 times. In order to fulfill the requirement of the Deputy Minister of Defense “to conduct accurate fire at the maximum possible ranges,” I bought a fairly good foreign sight with my own money. And they require me to use a regular PSO ...
Probably, this “Lefty problem” will always arise in Russia. And new truth-seekers appear, for whom it is most important to convey to the very top that "the British do not clean their guns with bricks, otherwise they are not suitable for shooting." The former deputy head of the army’s combat training department and chief of staff of the Roshinsky motorized rifle brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Kurilovich, who at one time himself became the champion of the Far Eastern Military District in sniper rifle shooting, noted that the SVD was and remains a very successful battlefield tool.
- Criticized for "insufficient" accuracy and range, the SVD is the weapon of an infantry sniper, or in English designated marksman. She does her job well,” said the sniper officer. - Half a century ago, the SVD appeared to compensate for the insufficient range of fire combat between machine gunners and Kalashnikovs. And later, such "infantry snipers" appeared in Israel and the United States. Their task is to destroy important targets: machine gunners, grenade launchers, ATGM crews, signalmen. The sniper pair of our motorized rifle platoon must, from the dismounting line of the enemy company - 600 meters from our front line - knock out and destroy three of its platoon commanders. No one will do it better than our "infantry snipers"! ..
So that our "infantry snipers" can adequately answer enemy snipers for 900 meters. It is proposed to introduce a kind of “main caliber” weapon as a group weapon in the sniper squads. Colonel Oleg Novak, head of the combat training department of the army, believes that for rifle squads snipers in motorized rifle companies, it is advisable to use a 12.7-mm sniper rifle - Tula OSV-96 or a large-caliber sniper rifle Kovrovskaya KSVK as group weapons. Their main purpose is to fight against lightly armored and unarmored military equipment and heavy weapons at a distance of up to a kilometer, to defeat enemy personnel behind shelters and in personal protective equipment at a distance of up to one and a half kilometers, and to counter sniper combat. It is believed that the presence of such powerful weapon can significantly increase the capabilities of snipers in motorized rifle companies and give them confidence in the confrontation with enemy snipers.
Marksmanship Rewards
The Samara falerists prompted the author of these notes to pay attention to another point related to raising the prestige of the sniper service. Starting with the Russian Imperial Army in Russia, super-sharp shooters were awarded commemorative breastplates for excellent rifle shooting. There were such signs even with the imperial crown and the monogram of the Emperor of the Russian Empire Nicholas II. There were other worthy awards to the excellent shooters of the old Russian army.
Per Soviet time millions of different badges were issued, designed to encourage the masters of marksmanship. Some associate with famous people. For example, the sign "Voroshilovsky shooter" was approved on October 29, 1932 by the Presidium of the Central Council of the Osoaviakhim of the USSR and the RSFSR at the suggestion of its chairman, commander Robert Eideman. This happened after one of the district newspapers described the case with the chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR, Kliment Voroshilov, who, during the inspection, took the revolver of the commander who had fired on a clean “unsuccessful” and knocked out 59 points with seven shots. Returning the weapon, Voroshilov said to the commander who was at fault: "There are no bad weapons, there are bad shooters."
And the badge "Sniper of the Red Army" was established by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR Marshal of the Soviet Union Klim Voroshilov No. 2 dated January 10, 1937, at the initiative of the head of the Combat Training Department of the Red Army, Commander of the 2nd Rank Alexander Sedyakin. And the same People's Commissar Voroshilov in May 1939 approved the badge "For Excellent Shooting".
The new sign "Sniper" was introduced in the army by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 21, 1942, signed by Mikhail Kalinin. Details of delivery and description were announced by the order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR Joseph Stalin No. 166 of May 28, 1942 and the order of the People's Commissar of the Navy of the USSR Nikolai Kuznetsov No. 110 of May 25, 1942.
Thus, all these awards for well-aimed shooters were established by the first persons of the Russian and Soviet state, including the Supreme Commander. Apparently, they highly appreciated the art of marksmanship if they entrusted the manufacture of sniper badges to the mints of both capitals. Lieutenant Colonel Oleg Filev and other military falerists of Samara propose to use the existing experience to encourage well-aimed shooters and solemnly reward them during army and district sniper rallies.
And it is also proposed to increase the prestige of snipers to introduce, at first, an unofficial professional holiday for super-sharp shooters in Russia - the day of the sniper. And to coincide with it holding sniper rallies in the troops. A good time for such a professional holiday is called, for example, the date of approval by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the sign "Sniper" - May 21. It just falls at the time of the end of the training period and summing up. However, as well as October 29 - the date of approval of the famous sign "Voroshilovsky shooter".
On the revival of the sniper movement
Today in the troops of one of critical issues there was a reduction in the terms of mastering military specialties by conscript soldiers. And the specialty of a sniper is one of the first among the problematic ones. The current recommendations for the selection of sniper candidates conclude: “Experience shows that sniper candidates should be selected from among soldiers who have served in the Armed Forces Russian Federation at least 6 months." The recommendation is correct, especially for 1999, when there was a two-year conscription period. But even for selected sniper candidates with a service life of at least 6 months, a month of intensive training was provided at well-organized sniper training camps.
The former head of the Air Defense Department, Major General Viktor Kuznetsov, remarked to the Krasnaya Zvezda correspondent that only high-quality pre-conscription training. Of course, this is the concern of the military commissariats, DOSAAF organizations, which should make better use of the existing training base, the same pre-Saaf shooting ranges for training potential snipers and establishing their record. But this is not only a task in the same Samara region for major generals of the reserve military commissar Alexander Danshin or the chairman of the regional council of DOSAAF Vasily Plavchenko, but for all regional government bodies.
Before the Great Patriotic War and during the war, the entire state system of propaganda and agitation worked to educate future snipers and gave the Red Army almost 10 million Voroshilov shooters. And then they were then trained in sniper schools for three, six and even eight months.
The sniper movement on the fronts began in 1942 in the Red Army not just at the suggestion of a member of the military council of the Leningrad Front, but the secretary and member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the party Andrei Zhdanov. Maybe even now a party that claims to be the leader and guide could have a hand in the revival of the sniper movement in the army and the country.
Marksmen in the army old Russia were the object of concern for emperors, including the last Russian monarch, Nicholas II. The Soviet general secretaries and members of the Politburo personally took care of them. And in new Russia care for the masters of excellent shooting should be a matter of state.
This word comes from English army XVIII century. The name from the snipe bird is snipe, extremely small and brisk, with a chaotic flight path, the direction of which is simply impossible to guess. Shooting at it is done "offhand". Only the master could hit the bird during air traffic. Let's talk about how to become a sniper.
Is there a craft
The versatile marksman is a legendary profession in the war. The effectiveness of ruthless work is terrifying, it appears and disappears without a trace after a single merciless shot. It is deadly to underestimate him. Nothing will save: numerous guards, bulletproof vest and range to the target. If a professional took up the matter, the enemy is doomed. The sniper is able to influence the outcome of the battle, destroy the terrorist in the crowd with a jewelry hit. All these skills are developed through practice. Many people know how to pull the trigger, but only a few can become a professional sniper. You can't miss. This is the lot of amateurs and the result of poor preparation. It is deadly dangerous for an arrow to make mistakes. Therefore, any of his actions implies impeccability and professionalism. He has a large amount of special knowledge and developments, and much is perceived on a subconscious and reflex level. This allows you to respond immediately after a long wait. There are techniques that allow you to renounce feelings and focus on the main thing. The main task is to detect and destroy the enemy before the enemy opens the shooter. Moreover, "detection" is not to see the enemy himself, but to recognize the signs of his presence. In this case, one must proceed from the fact that the enemy is also a professional.
Profile requirements
Excellent health is needed here, this is not shooting at a shooting range. Cold, precipitation - try to lie on the ground for hours without moving. In a sniper duel, whoever moves is not a tenant. But there are still natural needs. The appearance of diapers has significantly changed the situation, but more often they do without them. You have to be brave, knowing that if you get captured, you will definitely be killed.
The ability to keep the target up to three days. These qualities determine whether it is possible to become a sniper. He doesn't think about who he shoots. It's just a goal, no remorse. Not taking into account the experience, state of health and sustainable results shown in the shooting, endurance and nerves of steel are needed. The life of a sniper depends on self-control and calmness. Professionals say that shooters at maximum distances are specialists with an analytical mindset who can endure indefinitely.
Ordinary people who also have emotions, but they have learned to hide them and control themselves.
What you need to know about this profession
Training allows the sniper to lie still for a long time in ambush in any weather, waiting for an opportunity to fire. These are the profile specific requirements. It is rare for any candidate to pass the aptitude test. No less biased is the intelligence test in the scope of the school curriculum. And one more thing, the future of such a specialist is very vague. This is not the cinematic assassin in glasses on his nose and in black lycra gloves, after the shot flies off in a Ferrari. If at the end of the service such a specialist goes into crime, he will not live long. And if he devotes many years to serving the Motherland in this position, he will remain an invalid. Such specificity will unequivocally affect health, many shooters are written off from this work with various diseases cold character. You can become a sniper, but you have to think carefully.
If there is a dream
How to become a sniper in the army? Must have combat experience good performance on target practice, strong nerves and self-control. Unshakable calm.
There are restrictions:
Called up to the troops and expressing a desire to be a sniper, he cannot become one until he has served one year.
Those who perform the duty of conscription in the special forces of the Airborne Forces, the Marine Corps, in the brigades of the deployed composition of the ground forces, the chances of being enrolled in the position of a unique shooter increase, since there is good initial training.
How to become a sniper in the army for a contract soldier? A re-enlisted person who has expressed such a desire must have combat experience or experience in participating in local conflicts.
A girl is allowed to apply for this specialty if she is a member of the military and has experience in a combat position. The applicant must clearly understand that no indulgence should be expected. All hardships will have to endure on an equal footing with men.
Selection of candidates
To learn how to become a sniper in the Russian army, you need to familiarize yourself with the requirements:
35 years old - extreme age;
Excellent vision (without glasses, lenses);
The presence of a category, not lower than the second (a sport related to sniper activity);
Not married (not married);
Must be Orthodox or even an atheist (Muslims are denied);
Absence of bad habits;
Not the only breadwinner in the family;
Military experience is required.
Everyone goes through a special selection. Due to its complexity and specificity, few people overcome it. Carefully checked:
Personal moral qualities, punctuality and desire to perform difficult tasks;
Diligence, sense of responsibility, general education;
The correctness of decision-making, reasonable self-confidence, the ability to hold accountability for committed actions;
Self-control in stressful situations.
Exam exercises
Testing professional qualities is the most problematic stage of selection. How to become a sniper in Russia? After all, not everyone is suitable for such a service. For this, there is a profile selection. Representatives of certain psychotypes are suitable as applicants: phlegmatic or melancholic. Diligent, restrained in emotions, a little "inhibited", can be out of society for a long time.
By nature, loners, especially hunters for specialists like themselves (elite). They also try to keep apart in the team. Slowness and not verbosity are their hallmarks.
Good sportsmanship is essential. Regular fitness checks accustom candidates to daily training. How to become a sniper in the Russian army and what standards do you need to pass for this? Three main exercises are an indicator of the level of compliance with the requirements for physical fitness:
100 m sprint distance (you need not to leave in 13 seconds);
Pull-ups on the crossbar with an average grip (from 17 times);
Running 3000 m, field uniform (must be completed in twelve and a half minutes).
What tests need to be passed
Checking shooting qualities is a difficult and necessary exam. This is the answer to the question of what it takes to become a sniper. Six hours without rest and three tasks:
1. Shooting from a prone position with a hand without a fulcrum, a chaotic transfer of fire to other targets. Shooting from a waiting state at different intervals.
2. Walking movement in order to develop endurance for twenty kilometers in full-time armor protection. Along the way, various introductions to the development of professional developments.
There are only three five-minute stops along the entire route to map the section. The same amount will have to show the skill of disguise.
3. Repetition of task No. 1.
Preference for those who have shown persistence. After that, everyone will understand how to become a good sniper. Obviously it's not easy.
In addition to this exam, there are additional exercises to develop special qualities in applicants. Allocate those who do not respond to the sound of a shot and the recoil of a weapon. Another test is attention to the specified object for 12 hours without stopping.
Only one in a thousand is capable of becoming an ace of shooting. Exercises are used that can shock the faint of heart: at night, the candidate is lifted out of bed, taken to an open area and suddenly pointed to the target (human), the shooter does not know that it is a dummy. Five seconds are given. This is the minimum time for aiming and pulling the trigger.
Training of snipers in Russia
Each brigade of the Russian Armed Forces is equipped with a company of universal shooters. These units are needed in the conduct of active military operations. The need for well-aimed fighters is urgent, so the question of how to become a sniper in the Russian army is acute.
There are two types of marksman.
1. Saboteur. An all-rounder, the preparation of which takes years of hard training. The shooter works alone or in pairs in isolation from the main forces. The main task is the incessant impact on the psyche of the enemy, the destruction of the will, the suppression of the desire to stick out, the creation of an atmosphere of panic horror. Such fire impact is called "sniper terror". The pair destroy commanders, observers and other targets. These specialists are extremely careful, they observe complete disguise even when a shot is fired against the background of a different sound: thunderstorms, explosions, the rumble of equipment.
Targets are destroyed at a distance of 500 meters and beyond. The saboteur sniper is equipped with a high-precision small arms with optics, silencer available. If teammates are armed with a 12.7mm rifle, the target destruction range is increased to two kilometers. The assistant provides cover and is responsible for reconnaissance and the search for a new victim.
2. Infantry shooter. Here is the answer to the question of how to become a sniper for a girl. Universal for work at small and medium distances. In the old days, there were quite talented soldiers who were perfectly able to handle the Dragunov rifle. The difference from the classic station wagon is that it acts in the interests of and as part of a platoon or company. The master of fire covers the unit with well-aimed shots, destroying firing points, grenade launchers and enemy fighters. Armed with a reliable SVD. Time to choose the object of destruction is limited. Therefore, it hits any targets. Range no more than 400 meters. For the enemy, the universal shooter is a priority target.
Armament
The professional is provided with advanced shooting innovations and equipment. The versatile pair of shooters has a compact quantum rangefinder, binoculars and means for preparing initial data. They are marked 6S8 and a product from Kalashnikov 12.7x108 mm, which allows hitting targets at a distance of 2 km. But with a classic rifle for a professional master, the troops have not yet decided. The debate that the copies in service are hopelessly old has been going on for a long time. Their classic representative SVD (Dragunov rifle) has been in operation for more than 50 years, but it has not yet been possible to replace it with something improved, here's how. Becoming a sniper is prestigious, but I want new weapons.
Despite its venerable age, the SVD, according to experts, is still a first-class rifle in terms of its defining parameters.
Russian gunsmiths have made several promising samples of unique items. The latest concept of the Kalashnikov concern - the SV-98 - and the secret development of the ORSIS T-5000 amaze with their capabilities. The novelties will be put into service with special universal units of the Russian army.
Girls are no exception
I remember enough rumors about recent local conflicts: Transnistria, Karabakh, Ossetia, Chechnya, etc. The war gave a woman a reason to become a sniper. And let the legends go for a walk!
From school, everyone knows about the heroic shooter girls of the WWII period. At that time, the younger generation was well prepared: "Voroshilovsky shooter", passing the TRP standards. The great practice our youth received before the war gave the expected result. Then the school of snipers in the army and, finally, combat work.
Women make good shooters. They are good at hiding. The instinct of self-preservation and attention to detail often saved their lives. The ability to hold urination for a long time makes them universal. They shoot better than men, because in extreme situations it is much more stable, they approach the matter in detail, and not somehow. It was not difficult for a girl to become a sniper in those years. A high threshold of patience, sensitive perception, endurance - here they have an advantage over men. In a combat situation, they are careful, when wounded, they are tenacious. Incredibly observant and intuitive.
However, there are serious drawbacks.
Nature: the monthly physiological cycle interferes constantly, prolonged work in unsanitary conditions and as part of a sniper group is not possible.
Psychology: long-term long-term stressful loads are difficult to endure, there is a danger of a breakdown.
Action tactics
If you are interested in how to become a sniper, you should get acquainted with the methods of combat work. Arrows work one by one and two. Under certain circumstances, it is advisable to simultaneously involve a company of well-aimed fighters, this convincingly increases fire pressure in a problem area. In the deuce, the first works as a shooter, the second as a scout. Responsibilities change periodically. This technique helps to maintain a cheerful state for a long time and eliminates the decrease in the quality of vision during exploration. If there is an exceptional situation, then both fire at the same time. You need to be prepared for the unexpected.
The flank defeat was sudden, ruthless. For such an impact, sniper groups with cover.
In the offensive, the arrows take up places in the center of the combat position or on the flanks and destroy the enemy. Gradually move, hiding.
When fighting in the depths of the enemy's defense, fire is fired to destroy the means of support that counteract the offensive of our troops. At the same time cover the flanks.
During the Second World War, it was often practiced to sortie a pair of snipers into the neutral zone for free hunting. The danger did not stop. The thought of how to become a sniper faster was spurred on, so they were not afraid to take risks.
Disguise Features
Before the offensive:
Destroy targets that are inaccessible to weapons without optics;
They watch the enemy so as not to miss the signs of the beginning of the attack (sappers remove mines);
They pinpoint the firing points of the enemy.
With the transition of the enemy to the offensive, part of the snipers transfers fire on the manpower that has rushed forward. Others hit firepower that supports the attack of the enemy.
In defensive combat, snipers are used to control the seams on the flanks.
If necessary, they remain to work behind enemy lines. In addition to manpower, they destroy helicopters on jump sites, creating the illusion that a ruthless killer is firing from everywhere. A terrible premonition of death is traumatic, which leads to psychological disorders.
The sniper disguises himself as the area where he works: in the forest - trees, in the swamp - reeds and sedge, in the stubble - unharvested bread. There are other features in the city limits: houses, buildings, nooks and crannies. Even the bare steppe helps to hide: tumbleweed bushes, protruding rocks and stones sprinkled with sand.
These features are used by arrows, lives are at stake. If the hunter sees that the game is alert, it turns into a petrified object until the trophy ceases to feel the danger. The sniper does the same. Close attention to movement. Swarming instantly unmasks, attracts the enemy's eye like a magnet.
Grass and dense thickets will not help a sniper who moves carelessly.
To survive, you need to work hard on yourself and train.
The art of being invincible
An experienced sniper is not interested in the result of the shot. His task is to accurately send a bullet. The inquisitive lives little. And if the shooter hesitated and fired another shot, thereby violating the disguise, he is definitely not a tenant. Improving visual observation, you need to simultaneously hone your auditory skill. Deep in the night you can rely solely on hearing. Experts confirm that in reality a person hears better than he sometimes thinks.
Psychological filters interfere with this. This can be eliminated by training and the ability to focus on what is heard.
The shooter knows how to calmly cope with the feeling of hunger, everyday inconveniences through long training sessions, through I don’t want to. To become a sniper means to become an invisible, invulnerable, secretive and patient hunter. This demoralizes the enemy and allows you to destroy the enemy everywhere, even in his deep rear. The enemy should not be underestimated - it is a strong, hardy and insidious predator. He must be lured out and then be merciless.
From an admonition to snipers during the war: “Become a good sniper. You can do what others can't. Behind the back of the Motherland, justify the trust. Be ruthless. Destroy manpower, teach the enemy to crawl. Create panic. The enemy must constantly experience a feeling of wild horror. Unfortunately, and now restless, this instruction has not lost its topicality.
The direct commanders are preparing a universal shooter in our army. He is trained in his department. The fighter is handed a standard rifle, an entry is made in a military ID, the position is a sniper. The fighter receives the necessary training. In other countries shooters are trained in training centers up to six months. There is a competitive selection among graduates. Of the 25-30 applicants, one passes a severe examination. Only then is he a sniper.
It is no secret that in connection with the introduction of special sniper units into the combined arms formations of the Ground Forces, the formation of a phased and multi-level system for the selection and training of snipers began in the troops. After the completion of the stage of recruitment of individual sniper companies, all snipers will undergo special training at training centers every 3-4 years. For the emerging sniper training schools, curricula have been developed that provide for the mastery of a set of knowledge, skills and abilities, including those for adjusting artillery fire, aiming army aviation and counter-sniper training. The instructors, from among whom the newly formed sniper training schools will be recruited by December 1 at the district training centers (OTC), have completed a special fire training cycle (TsOPS) in the city of Solnechnogorsk.
At the finish line, a trained sniper will be able to act both as part of a unit and independently (or in pairs). Formation of sniper units in ground forces, staffed by professional contracted military personnel and undergoing systematic training at sniper schools at the educational training center and at the TsOPS (Solnechnogorsk), is scheduled to be fully completed in 2016.
Due to the variety of fire missions performed, the sniper units are armed with several types of rifles with different indicators of the main combat properties. In addition, each sniper is given a personal weapon - a pistol. In addition to weapons and sights, the sniper pair is equipped with optoelectronic surveillance equipment - a small-sized laser reconnaissance device, binoculars and means for determining the initial data for firing. Individual and group equipment of a sniper pair includes a sniper complex, uniforms, equipment and other equipment necessary to complete tasks and maintain life.
We managed to get into one of these newly formed separate sniper companies (27th brigade) in order to find out how combat firing snipers, including in pairs and with the use of fire support, what happens in special tactical classes (movement, equipment and camouflage of the firing position), why psychological testing of snipers is needed and how things are with medical training.
For future fighters of individual sniper units, several qualifications have been introduced, one of which is psychological. A specially trained civilian psychologist (in the past - an officer), with the help of proven methods for predicting the behavior of a fighter at an early stage, identifies people who do not have the proper level of neuropsychic stability. Testing is normal. Each candidate receives a form, the psychologist reads the questions-statements, the subject answers. For example, one of the tests, consisting of 86 questions, allows you to divide all candidates into 4 groups. Of these, only those included in groups 1 and 2 can be recommended for enrollment with subsequent admission to combat sniper weapons. Psychological selection during acquisition, as the psychologist said, is very strict.
After being enrolled in a sniper company, a psychologist monitors each fighter individually. If necessary, individual training sessions are again conducted with a sniper, during which it is possible to adjust such an indicator as, for example, “determination” and issue the necessary recommendations. If correction is not possible and serious issues of psychological fitness arise, the psychologist may make a proposal to remove the sniper from service in a separate sniper company. Individual therapy is possible, and as a standard this kind of therapy is carried out weekly for small groups. Nothing "cinematic" is brought into the mental training of a sniper: no one eats live frogs and does not wrap the enemy's warm intestines around his fist. They say that such training is not required for a modern military sniper.
The main qualities that the psychologist works to consolidate and develop are decisiveness, courage, and an adequate response to any new situations. Special attention is given to the actions of a sniper in a future battle, the most important of which is a clear and quick prioritization.
"SVD" 7.62 mm sniper rifle Dragunov
Contract Sergeant Velmatkin. Having served in the army for military service, not at all as a sniper, he was demobilized, thought about it and returned to the army again. I wanted to be a sniper. And became.
Fighters should be able to prepare this kind of camouflage suits with masks for themselves, best of all - from improvised means. The main task is to hide the silhouette of the fighter and weapons, to protect the face and hands. Of course, there are a lot of special suits on sale today, but as the pros say, they are really good and do not need finishing and “customization” - no. And the price tag usually invigorates. 5-6 thousand will have to lay out. It is, of course, available if you are an airsoft manager (this is without irony and jokes, if anything). What about a contract sergeant? Those who want to make a suitable and correct suit for themselves can go here . By the way - my acquaintances from the police special forces, who fought a lot,.
To begin with, snipers led by a young officer demonstrated typical measures to mask their position. The situation has become much more complicated weather conditions It snowed overnight and started to melt in the morning. Wet, dirty, not autumn and not winter. But it's raining. The snipers had to get out as in battle. A white camouflage coat is poorly suited for spaces not covered with snow, and green for snowy ones. To the question - “what to do if you need to immediately go into battle?”, The officer said that instead of a white coat, bandages and underwear would fit, and instead of green, equipment of “beds” and special barriers that were not visible from the side.
The first of the snipers chose a place for the future "prone". A hole large enough to hide a lying person was covered with heat-insulating "foam" and a raincoat. The fighter lies on his stomach and nests in a way convenient for him, and his comrade covers the lying one with a simple mat. This, of course, is about a flat structure woven from “local” branches, twigs and clods of snow. Approximately above the head of a lying sniper, a bump is arranged using the same method. A sniper sticks a rifle into this very bump so that a sector of fire and observation is visible through the scope. In such cases, the barrel is bandaged so that the blued rifle does not stand out in the snow. In such a shelter, a sniper can spend from several hours to several days.
Depending on the length of stay, a reserve is made in terms of the volume of shelter so that the lying fighter could warm up a little, eat, drink. In winter, being in such a bed, as they said, is surprisingly not cold, unless, of course, the sniper has properly insulated himself. Great for isolating the "local" spruce branches under the raincoat. A small hole for ventilation allows you to breathe, and if you also light a candle inside the “bed” closed on all sides, it gets warmer. Including in the soul, as the sniper officer said. The question about natural needs was answered in the affirmative. Yes. And where to go?
A nearby open position was taken by a sniper with a white paper mask on his face (cheap and cheerful) and a piece of wire tied to a dummy. The dummy is additionally equipped with a micromirror responsible for bright reflections. He pulled the wire - the mirror glared. An enemy sniper may well shoot at the flash, and then he will be revealed by simple observation. Well, then - how lucky.
In an open field, a simple wire structure was installed with branches braided into it and bunches of dried grass. On a complete "lack of fish" and such a disguise is good. It is light, mobile and, with skillful manufacture, impenetrable to an outside observer.
Old, broken armored vehicles are a great place to equip a position. Often snipers prepare so-called "stumps" for themselves. It can be either a real hollow stump or a stump made by hand on a frame. From under it, you can observe without fear of being seen, and shoot if necessary. Of course, all snipers know about “stumps”, therefore, before entering a position, they are often “shoot through” on their own or with the help of infantry. Protecting yourself from enemy snipers is never superfluous. Sniper hideouts are often armored on your own and hand tools. In general, there are no limits to tricks. Now the wire "spider" is in use. Metal rods on a single bolt, assembled into an umbrella-like design. He laid it out, disguised it, covered himself - that's it, the position is ready. You observe from there, you find a goal - it's a pity and go to a new place. Disguise is life.
After the camouflage lesson, we went to the obstacle course. A sniper pair in the face of a fighter with a sniper rifle and a soldier with a machine gun (in his place there may be a second sniper) had to quickly and trying not to stick out, overcome an open space with obstacles, covering each other with fire. The fighters from the support group provided explosions, smoke and shooting, trying to somewhat complicate the actions of the sniper pair. Some obstacles in the field were set on fire for greater naturalism.
Snipers conduct combat operations as part of, for example, a motorized rifle unit. This means that the shooter, machine gunner, grenade launcher, radio operator, gunner and other important guys are going on the attack (or sitting on the defensive - it doesn’t matter). With them - a regular medical officer. That is, in the event of a wound on the battlefield, one of the comrades will be able to take out the wounded, and the first aid specialist will provide this same assistance in the shortest possible time, for which he is appointed in each unit. Another thing is the work of a sniper pair as part of an exclusively pair, outside the combat formations of the unit. Two people work separately from everyone, it happens that at a considerable distance from their own. And in case of injury, there will be no one to provide even first aid. Except for yourself and your partner. Only self-help and mutual assistance remain - there are no other options.
The most common task in this case is to establish where the fighter is wounded and how to help him. The sniper has few means to assist - mainly a tourniquet and an individual dressing bag. And, in general, everything. There are no syringe tubes with promedol. In combat conditions, things can (and hopefully will) be different.
A special exercise was devoted to practicing the skill of quickly evacuating a wounded sniper from the danger zone by his partner. Noticing that a fighter is in trouble, a colleague approaches him in a belligerent manner, finds out how and where he was wounded, applies a tourniquet, stops the blood and bandages the comrade with individual bags. When the blood has stopped, and there is no immediate danger of death from the wound and blood loss, it is necessary to evacuate the wounded. During the evacuation process, the sniper should try to perform all his actions unnoticed by the enemy, crouching as low as possible and using the available means of disguise. In our case, the wounded sniper was conscious according to the conditions of the task, so he was instructed to keep both sniper rifles on himself and help when crawling, pushing with his "good" leg.
The actions to evacuate the wounded were observed by a medical officer, guard lieutenant of the medical service. In his opinion, the task was completed with a "satisfactory" rating. The first aid was provided quickly, correctly and in the proper amount, but at the stage of crawling away, the fighters did not bend low enough to the ground and were a good target for the enemy.
Further, according to the plan, everyone proceeded to the shooting range past the smart green “tanks”. Snipers fired in the prone position from conventional SVDs with conventional four-fold PSOs at a distance of 100 meters. The distance is not typical, but given the number of film crews and the desire of all those who gathered to reach the targets after shooting, it is convenient for everyone.
After firing, at the command of the deputy commander of the 27th separate motorized rifle brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Dmitry Aksyonov, everyone advanced to the targets.
Comrade sergeant fired accurately and accurately. Well done!
Here - the result is worse. But the sniper is also a beginner, just learning.
At the end of the race, I managed to talk with one of the officers of a separate sniper company. The following questions were discussed:
What task can an ordinary soldier who has been trained as a sniper with his ordinary rifle solve?
It can confidently hit a target at a distance of 200-500 meters. At these distances, all typical exercises are worked out in a planned manner. In a real battle, a shot at a distance of more than 500 meters is simply impractical. What for? And yes, this rarely happens. During hostilities in the city - it is completely excluded. And do not forget about the need to identify the target as an enemy. A four-fold PSO sight mounted on an SVD rifle does not really allow this. How to make a decision to hit a target without being sure that the target is the same one?
Are there frequent shootings? How many shots are fired in the company?
In our unit, shooting takes place two or three times a week. Minimum - weekly, but this is rare. The unit is newly formed, so the attention to us is appropriate, we need to prepare personnel strenuously. Cooking. We do not regret patrons.
Are there any "stars" of sniping among rookie snipers?
There is. 10 percent shoot really great, show outstanding results. Practice in this matter is not enough, you also need talent. So there are excellent shooters among seasoned contract soldiers with extensive experience and among conscripts who, before service, did not come close to sniper weapons. The sniper is a calling. You need to feel it and be able to control yourself. This is indeed a necessary condition. Emotions, breathing, mood - everything must be in harmony with the rifle. The basics of shooting training are given to a fighter using typical tools, for example, commander's boxes KYA-73 and KYa-83 allow you to clearly and intelligibly convey information about the conditions necessary for an accurate shot. This is both theory and practice of aiming. Later we move on to exercises with live shooting.
How about hitting a target the size of, say, a head? Distance is kilometer.
Much depends on the weapon, on the sight, on the position, on the strength of the wind, on experience. In general, it happens. Not a miracle. Especially in order to establish a personal sports record.
What about SVD? Good rifle?
How can you say for sure? The weapon, I think, is immortal. And its merits in practice outweigh any idle talk. I think it's obsolete, but for wide application in the army, it is still - "the very thing." There is no need to compare it with piece foreign rifles equipped with multi-thousand-dollar sights - after all, there is nothing like this massively in the army and never will be. And there is an SVD with PSO. And for her tasks, she is still an excellent tool. Those who wish, as elsewhere, apparently in the army, can buy any sight for their own. Yes, there is such a practice, we are constantly trying something new. Personally, I am not a supporter of such "weighting", I think that the simpler - the more reliable and better it will be.
Highly important detail- SVD rifle is hard to spoil by inept handling. Sometimes there is no time to clean. In real extreme conditions- took off his sock, hastily cleaned the dirty mechanism, it will work. When conditions are normal, there is no time pressure - mandatory cleaning after each use. If the rifle still breaks down or behaves strangely, it is officially sent to the gunsmith for repairs. After repair - again the procedure of fitting-tuning-shooting. I can't recall a rifle damaged by mishandling. Wear - yes. There is nothing eternal.
Are any specially selected cartridges used in preparation?
No, only those that come in zinc with the inscription "Sniper". Normal ammo. Reliable. But there are all sorts of singles - often sticking happens.
Is the rifle assigned to a specific fighter?
The rifle is assigned to each fighter individually. He prepares weapons “for himself” himself - he adjusts, leads to a normal battle, shoots, cleans, grooms and cherishes.
Is there rivalry within the military collective?
Among the fighters there is some informal competition, the spirit of rivalry, of course, is inherent in the male team. Usually everyone knows who is capable of what, if a person shoots well - of course, he enjoys authority among his comrades. Shooting straight is prestigious.
If necessary - is it possible to make a decent sniper from an ordinary soldier taken at random?
Probably not. Snipers are the elite. Everyone cannot be the best. And besides, in fact, snipers, there are many other needs. We need intelligent soldiers in the release groups, in cover, in reconnaissance. Of those who have already fallen into the ranks of snipers, some are leaving. The sifting is there all the time. He changed his mind, failed, professionally unsuitable. Such people are simply transferred to other units, for example, to ordinary motorized rifles.
Any foreign experience is used in the training of our snipers? Is there anything new in sniper business?
In my opinion - all the most important things have long been invented. Sniper business is very painstaking. It is necessary to “sharpen” the experience that has long been accumulated carefully and specifically for oneself. The memories of the snipers of the Red Army help a lot in this matter. From precisely foreign experience - German was found useful educational film about the training of snipers, made for the training of Wehrmacht snipers. For example, a wire fan as the basis of a wireframe disguise is borrowed from there. We are studying the memories of our veteran snipers and scouts, that's for sure. Luckily they are on the internet now.
What other types of training are required for a sniper, besides physical, shooting, medical and psychological?
For example, a sniper goes through an additional engineering training. It cannot be said that it is very deep, but it is quite capable of detecting, for example, a mine. Disposal of an explosive object is not the task of a sniper. Found - just bypass or mark. Well, engineering intelligence has not been canceled.
What does a sniper usually carry on a mission?
The less cargo the sniper carries, the better. The main cargo is weapons, ammunition, appliances, water, food. Sometimes, if conditions allow - a walkie-talkie. The food is the most common. Dry rations, chocolate, stew.
How does a sniper feel when he hits an enemy?
There is no remorse or fear. There is satisfaction from a well-executed work that was taught. Did an excellent job - well done, rejoice. What is there to suffer? (Hmm, who filled up more than one German from his SVT during the war - the author.)
How do snipers get hit?
Voluntarily. By my own will. After a tough selection, of course. We serve only those who want. It's in our own interests. We have a special purpose unit, we need, in addition to discipline, personal aspirations. People come, of course, different. There are more sensible ones. From ordinary, but professionally fit, we make good and excellent snipers. And about the "elite" - this is not just what they say. This "ideology" is imposed on the recruit, it is extremely important, without it it is difficult to develop and self-develop as a warrior. Yes, for some, as they say, wings open, a sniper rifle, again, not everyone gets it. They even say: only a sniper has a rifle, the rest have weapons. Well, we have badges. These are chevrons. Chevron must be earned. They are worn in the entire brigade only by two companies - snipers and deblockers. Chevron is truly prestigious. A great reason to be proud of yourself. Soldiers understand this.
*****
During the sniper race, not only snipers worked in pairs, but also photographers. .
All photos in one gallery
Press Club MO- thanks for checking in. There, at the link - video of the Zvezda TV channel.
