Stryker Company Snipers

[akd]

Yes, the "S" word, and also "Sharpshooters," "Designated Marksmen and "Squad Designated Marksmen." From "Precision Shooting in the Global War on Terror," Small Arms Review. Vol. 9, No. 5, February, 2006.

Not All Are Snipers

While all precision shooters are valuable to the tacticial situation, not all are genuine "snipers." This distinguished names is best reserved for thos who have successfully completed formal schooling by their respective services, resulting in the award of the sniper MOS...

For the most part these men are assigned in the role of sniper and armed with top-of-the-line bolt-action Remigton 7.62mm rifles...or semi-auto .50 caliber Barrets.

...

Sharpshooters and Designated Marksmen

Because the demand far outstrips the supply of these "real" snipers, worthy shooters with somewhat lesser degrees of schooling and proficiency are also deserving of membership in the precision riflery fraternity...there is much latitude in what they are called...but SAR finds it convenient to use two broad categories.

We'll call the first category of semi-snipers "Sharpshooters/Designated Marksmen," who are expert shooters given some advanced instruction and then assigned the role as additional duty. They are usually identified by the distinctive scoped 7.62mm rifle with its protruding box magazine they proudly carry.

...

On The M14

SAR: Is the proper nomenclature Designated Marksman Rifle?

Army: There is no nomenclature for a modified M14 as this is not a formal Army program, but rather a unit-specific effort.

SAR: What is the basis of issue; how many per unit and who gets them?

Army: Zero. Some units have received depot surplus M14s to augment their authorized weapons but there is no formalized or standardized basis of issue, nor are all units authorized to have M14s - it is a capability provided for a limited time on a case-by-case basis.

SAR: What is the rationale for fielding these vs. the M24?

Army: All units authorized the M24 have their allocated quantity. Those units in receipt of M14s have not received them in lieu of M24 sniper rifles.

SAR: Whwere are the Designated Marksmen being trained and to what standards?

Army: Designated Marksmen are trained as part of markmanship sustainment training at the individual unit level, according to standards established in Chapter 7 of FM3-22.9, Rifle Marksmanship.

21st December 2004, Afghanistan. Specialist Jonathan Low, a Designated Marksman for Company C, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment.

Squad Designated Marksman

Not to be confused with those in the previous category [Designated Marksmen/Sharpshooters], Squad Designated Marksmen are members of Army and Marine rifle squads who carry specially modified 5.56mm M16A4 rifles or M4A1 carbines. telescopic sights and bipods are the most obvious indicators of this special status, but the luckiest ones carry weapons with match grade trigger groups and heavy barrels.

They usually get extra training to go along with this high-speed gun gear and are expected to put this to good use in two very important ways. First, the day scopes - usually 4 power ACOGs - enable better identification of threats among friendlies. Then, when the need arises to apply 5.56mm persuasion, the accuracy package plus well-honed shooting skills equals higher likelihood of finishing the job without collateral damage.

A Squad Designated Marksman from Company B, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, conducts search and sweep operations in the village of Shakaria, Iraq. January 9, 2006.

...

Stryker Brigade Snipers in Iraq

Troubled by the lack of recognition in news releases and other elements...SAR sent a request through Pentagon channels to the 25th Infantry Division, [then] deployed in Northern Iraq. The response was immediate and enthusiastic. Some excerpts:

-Major Mark Bieger [was] the Battalion Operations Officer for 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment in the 1st Brigade (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), 25th Infantry Division in Northern Iraq.

"Snipers have been critical to successful operations in fighting the insurgency in Mosul, Iraq. The sniper provides twho critical advantages: precision, long-range direct fires and covert surveillance. In an urban environment, the sniper's unique capabilities cannot be matched with other, lesser-trained soldiers, technology or alternate tactic, technique or procedure. The snipers of this battalion are absolutely necessary and an invaluable piece of the organization."

Stryker Company sniper, 24th Infantry Regiment. KIA by enemy sniper in Mosul.

-Captain Chris Bachl [was] a Stryker Infantry Company Commander of A Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment deployed in Northern Iraq.

On sniper effectiveness in Iraq: "The seven man sniper squad (2 x 3-man sniper teams plus 1 Squad Leader) are used in a full array of operations in support of company and battalion targeting operations. Common operational uses include covert stay behind ambushes, cache/terrain of interest observation, counter-IED, Iraqi Army patrol overwatch, and counter-mortar/counter-rocket and COP/Hard site security. They truly operate over a full spectrum of operations to include both lethal and non-lethal roles. One critical role they play involves the gathering of information and intel as they conduct observation and surveillance. My company snipers were very adept at pinpointing enemy actions at a distance using their advanced optics. Their spot reports translated into critical real-time information (sensor to shooter link) that platoon's were able to act on instantly using their digital capabilities."

One example: "While providing observation and coutenr-reconaissance in support of a platoon maneuvering forward from a COP, the sniper team spotted 'suspicious activity.' After developing the situation and further observation, they observed military-aged males gathering at a house at a distance of 600 meters from the combat outpost. The sniper team was able to then vector the maneuver platoon to the house while the spotter and sniper continued to maintain eyes on the situation. Once the platoon was in sight, they gathering began to disperse, some picked up RPGs and AK-47s and started firing at the approaching platoon. The sniper team was able to islolate them with precision fires allowing the platoon to maneuver closer to the building."

-Captain Kevin Saatkamp [was] an Infantry Stryker company commander in the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment deployed to Northern Iraq.

"Snipers fulfill a critical role in the the urban insurgency. The benefits of the organic company sniper, unique to the Stryker Brigade, ad a tremendous precision fire asset to those who need it most: the infantryman on the ground. Consisting of a 3-man element, the sniper team provides not only the ability to 'reach out and touch someone,' but also the ability to observe targets covertly without a large signature. The largest challenge to the sniper in Mosul is the difficult and varied terrain. One mission the team may be placed in a 3-story building, the next in an open field. Leaving behind a sniper team in an area that just received contact has proved especially effective to US forces. Although not always employed, the sniper can provide an insight into the neighborhood that a normal dismounted patrol can't. In short, the company sniper team is a tremendous combat multiplier to the Stryker company and battalions."

Future Snipering

Army snipers - and maybe their Marine brothers - can look forward to receiving a fast-shooting 7.62mm sniper rifle in the next year or so...the XM110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System, essentially a beefed-up and tuned-up M16 along the lines of the Navy SEAL's Mk. 11 Mod 0 (Knight's SR-25).

Also, Ronnie Barret hasn't rested on his M107 .50 caliber laurels. Joint Services Small Arms Program is well along with developmental work and safety testing of his 25mm high-velocity version called the XM109 Anti-Material Payload Rifle. Insiders report this awesome weapon has already seen "operational evaluation" overseas.

(edit: added some pics to go along with abridged article.)

[flamingknives]

Is it worth putting a scope and bipod on an M4?

[hellfish]

For urban combat I think so. The Russians have a short, silenced sniper rifle (the VSS) with a max effective range of only 400m or so that was specifically designed for fighting in urban environments.

[hellfish]

D'oh

[Battlefront.com]

Good posts. Well, we are quite aware that the DMs are not the same as Snipers. I'm sure some of the DMs are perhaps tactically on a par, as the war in Iraq is going now, but it would be more because of experience and inherent skill, not training. So those of you familiar with our CMx1 differences between Sharpshooters and Snipers can guess, the same distinction will be drawn in CMx2.

However, the 10 shot limit on Snipers will likely be eliminated for CMx2. The gameplay reasons for this in CMx1 were quite sound and we'd do it all over again just like that if we were simply redoing the CMx1 engine. However, we are not so we aren't

Steve

[Dawg Bonz]

Thanks for the post akd. I was wondering about this for CMSF cause... "Snipers fulfill a critical role in the the urban insurgency."

Dawg..... Designated Mutt

[acrashb]

Originally posted by flamingknives:

Is it worth putting a scope and bipod on an M4?

Sure - if only to filter out bad guys from non-combatants. The scope makes target ID a lot more certain, and the bipod makes fire more precise. A person can be trained to fire just as accurately from a level, prone position, but the training and the positions would be in short supply.

[Rick]

Might the XM110 or XM109 be in CMSF?

[Sequoia]

Steve,

Can you give us a bit more detail about how snipers and DM's will be handled in CMX2? Will DM's always be a part of a squad?

Yes I read the M107 thread.

Thanks

[Battlefront.com]

Sniper Teams are independent units with 3 soldiers. The unit has three weapons:

Sniper 1 - M107B

Sniper 2 - M24 (to be replaced by M110)

Security - M4

We still have not determined if it is normal for the unit to deploy both Sniper weapons at the same time. It certainly does happen, but since we can't have it be both ways we're going to have to pick the most common one and go with that. I'd say it is likely that only one of the Snipers will be able to fire at a time. This is tricky coding that hasn't been done yet, so we'll see what happens when it happens.

Designated Marksmen are part of a normal Rifle Squad. The DM is assigned to one Fire Team and the AT Expert is assigned to the other. The DM uses a modified M4 (to be replaced by the M110) and is the guy the Squad Leader calls up to silence specific, hard to hit targets. In the game the player will have no control over the DM's use.

Hope that helps!

Steve

[MikeyD]

I thought I had heard somewhere that the M14 wasn't 'officially-official' but were old depot stored weapons shipped over to augment the 5.56 weapons. Nice to see it in writing.

I also saw somewhere a pict of a really pretty M14 with new high tech balanced stock. Made it look much meaner than the old wood stock version. Of course I can't locate the photo.

[Imperial Grunt]

The Marines have already officially adopted and have begun to issue the Mk-11 Mod 0 to its Scout-Sniper platoons. FYI.

[MikeyD]

Found it! M14 with super-cool aftermarket stock:

[ October 04, 2006, 07:52 AM: Message edited by: MikeyD ]

[John Kettler]

MikeyD,

Nice find! Hard to believe that nasty looking thing

is at heart the venerable M14.

Regards,

John Kettler

[Sequoia]

Originally posted by Battlefront.com:

Hope that helps!

Steve

Yes it does. Next question, however, and I know this is reaching but forgive me.

I assume when a unit takes a casualty the actual man who is hit is randomized. However, with snipers, would there be a higher chance that the casualty inflicted would be on the "highest value" target in the targeted unit?

[Battlefront.com]

Sequoia,

I assume when a unit takes a casualty the actual man who is hit is randomized.

Not really. With 1:1 LOF we're tracking things very directly. At least with aimed fire. Obviously with shell fragments we aren't tracking splinters, so casualties are somewhat randomly determined for stuff like that. However, in such a situation there is no problem with the situation you described because it makes sense that it is somewhat random.

Oh, and a reminder that skills are soldier specific. Therefore, losing you lose a Sniper you lose the abilities that went along with that Sniper. The guy pulling security for the Sniper Team doesn't get to pick up the M107B and start dropping targets at 1000m.

Steve

[Scipio]

Originally posted by Battlefront.com:

... Obviously with shell fragments we aren't tracking splinters ...

Steve

What!? You don't!?! Damned, that ruined my day!

[howardb]

The M14 must be one of the most beautiful rifles ever engineered. Would sure like to own one.

[MikeyD]

That high-tech stock pictured above is actually an over-the-counter item, I believe.

I've got an ex-Marine marksman nephew who spent a God-awful sum of money to purchase his own personal British sniper rifle! The rifle equivalent of owning a Lamborghini.

[flamingknives]

Sounds like an Accuracy International (L96 in the British Army)

Now that's a nice looking rifle.

[V]

So since marksmen and snipers haven't been coded yet....

[MikeyD]

Here's a somewhat surprising photo. An M14 still using iron sights. The photo's pretty old, March of 2005. Photo caption said a sniper from 11 ACAV, though they might've simply thrown the word 'sniper' in because he wasn't carrying an M16/M4. You'll notice the old camou scheme, even older webbing, and a holstered pistol. Odd combination.

[flamingknives]

What're the chances that he's got a scope sight stashed in his webbing somewhere?

[metalbrew]

You can't just pop a scope on a rifle and expect good results. Even removable optics require re-zeroing before use.

Aside from that, there's no rail on that particular rifle. With no rail, there's not much chance of using removable optics.

[flamingknives]

Some rifles/scopes can. On the M14, unless I'm mistaken, the scope mount is on the left-hand side of the reciever, so you wouldn't see it in that picture anyway.