Sniper training: ‘To see and not to be seen’
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- Date: 21.03.2019
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The Training Centre Lešť is hosting Phase II of sniper training for the Mechanised Battalion Martin on the third week of March 2019. The practical training was preceded by a theory phase at Martin Garrison.
The Officer commanding the training, Lt Miroslav Kniznersaid: “It contained a series of lectures aimed at tactical sniper training, tactical movements by day and at night, selecting and taking up observer positions, and sniper activity from them. This week snipers have performed different practical tasks. Their training has culminated in a more complex assignment.”
After receiving an operation order, snipers were given time to plan and prepare their mission. What followed was a tactical movement to areas of operation at Lešť, where they set up observer positions and carried out an extended observation of their targets all night and morning. Each observer position was manned by a team of three snipers. Privates First Class Rado, Martin and Július made the best of their experience from their 6-month eFP deployment to Latvia. Rado started off as a mortar loader, but he has worked as a sniper for one and half years. He finds his job to be physically and mentally challenging, yet still it is interesting for him. “There is always something going on. I did my first all-night target observation at an observer position where we were thrown back on each other completely. While two of us were observing, one of us was resting. We took turns every hour. The observation conditions were good at night, the moon was at full, and it was only about -3° C. We were able to tough it out,” said Rado, a native of Martin.
Lt Knizner explained that snipers still had live firing ahead of them. Zeroing sniper rifles is a priority for accurate shooting. Only then can snipers perform their firing tasks accurately. As part of the process, zeroing is done at increasing distances from the shooting point. The effective range of our sniper rifle is up to 800m, but much depends on the sniper’s theoretical knowledge and practical skills. To become a good sniper, one must fire hundreds of rounds.
Expressing his satisfaction with the course and results of the training, the Officer commanding the training, Lt Miroslav Knizner added: “As a rule, we do sniper training four times a year. We do our best to deliver sniper training during all seasons of the year, so that snipers can be ready to perform their missions in changing conditions all year long, because each season has its own specific attributes. What changes is the weather, natural cover, camouflage patterns, and movement across terrain. I am satisfied with the effort and approach of our soldiers to training. A top quality sniper must have an excellent knowledge of tactics, the ability to translate theory into practice, move to the area unnoticed by day and at night, set up observer positions, and have a good grasp of topography, and analytical skills and psychological resilience. ‛To see and not to be seen’ is a rule of thumb for every sniper in performing tasks.”
The Officer commanding the training, Lt Miroslav Kniznersaid: “It contained a series of lectures aimed at tactical sniper training, tactical movements by day and at night, selecting and taking up observer positions, and sniper activity from them. This week snipers have performed different practical tasks. Their training has culminated in a more complex assignment.”
After receiving an operation order, snipers were given time to plan and prepare their mission. What followed was a tactical movement to areas of operation at Lešť, where they set up observer positions and carried out an extended observation of their targets all night and morning. Each observer position was manned by a team of three snipers. Privates First Class Rado, Martin and Július made the best of their experience from their 6-month eFP deployment to Latvia. Rado started off as a mortar loader, but he has worked as a sniper for one and half years. He finds his job to be physically and mentally challenging, yet still it is interesting for him. “There is always something going on. I did my first all-night target observation at an observer position where we were thrown back on each other completely. While two of us were observing, one of us was resting. We took turns every hour. The observation conditions were good at night, the moon was at full, and it was only about -3° C. We were able to tough it out,” said Rado, a native of Martin.
Lt Knizner explained that snipers still had live firing ahead of them. Zeroing sniper rifles is a priority for accurate shooting. Only then can snipers perform their firing tasks accurately. As part of the process, zeroing is done at increasing distances from the shooting point. The effective range of our sniper rifle is up to 800m, but much depends on the sniper’s theoretical knowledge and practical skills. To become a good sniper, one must fire hundreds of rounds.
Expressing his satisfaction with the course and results of the training, the Officer commanding the training, Lt Miroslav Knizner added: “As a rule, we do sniper training four times a year. We do our best to deliver sniper training during all seasons of the year, so that snipers can be ready to perform their missions in changing conditions all year long, because each season has its own specific attributes. What changes is the weather, natural cover, camouflage patterns, and movement across terrain. I am satisfied with the effort and approach of our soldiers to training. A top quality sniper must have an excellent knowledge of tactics, the ability to translate theory into practice, move to the area unnoticed by day and at night, set up observer positions, and have a good grasp of topography, and analytical skills and psychological resilience. ‛To see and not to be seen’ is a rule of thumb for every sniper in performing tasks.”
