Sniper or System Operator?

With an extensive range of technology available, snipers are forgetting some of the basic skills that are required on the battlefield. The Future Infantry Soldier Technology (FIST) project is a slogan flaunted proudly by many militaries around the world. It involves fitting the foot soldier, from head to toe, with state-of-the-art equipment that enables better communication with other members in combat and with the forward command post. In addition to communication tools, it also includes smart and accurate ammunition and integrated video, audio, and information resources.

The second part of this popular slogan is “enhancing the lethality and survivability” of the combat trooper. This means enhancing the effectiveness and impact of the fire generated by the trooper, while keeping him competent, fit, protected, and ready for combat. These current trends will have a lasting effect on the practice of the combat troopers on the ground, and especially on sniper operations. 

The IDF is taking part in this revolution through its Digital Army Program (DAP), which serves as a framework for technological solutions for the individual trooper, among other things. Another example of this trend is the US Army’s recent launch of a new project involving a sniper sight. According to the plans, the new sight will incorporate day and night optical sighting, a laser rangefinder, a meteorological sensor, and a ballistics calculator.Development will take a few years, but according to publicized statements, the system will enable faster and more accurate fire.

On the face of it, these systems represent a significant advantage on the battlefield. On the other hand, parties involved in the development of the sight have already stated that it would reduce the need for training. This is the problematic direction that sniping is headed; the sniper on the ground will increasingly become a “system operator.” He will be less skilled at field craft, survival, and miss the necessary connection with his immediate environment in which food sources, camouflage, shade, cover, and more support him.

The technological resources available today and the technology-intensive environment in which we live have caused an increasing detachment from nature and man’s natural environment. The connection between the sniper and nature is critically important – even acute. In their first days at sniping school, today’s snipers learn to use state-of-the-art anemometers that measure barometric pressure and temperature as by-products, and ballistics calculators that compute the ballistic arc of the rifle and the trajectory of the bullet.

While it is safe to say that using these measures is far more efficient, faster, and more accurate than any mental calculations, the sniper hardly has to think for himself or calculate ballistics data on his own. What will happen if his instruments die at the most crucial moment?

Relying on digital measures is legitimate and correct, and of course, there is nothing wrong with utilizing human knowledge to improve the effectiveness of anachronistic work methods that need upgrading and improvement. Nevertheless, what happens when snipers forget simple formulae for calculating wind velocity and distance? What happens when the sniper forgets how to evaluate the target’s distance or the velocity of the wind? What happens when the sniper forgets the prompt and intuitive calculation of the ballistic compensation needed for his rifle scope?

An experienced sniper can accomplish all this based on intuition, almost without wasting precious calculation time. However, if these skills are not utilized and developed in operational shooting exercises and experience, they will simply be forgotten. A sniper that cannot establish wind direction and velocity from his first day on the job by lifting a handful of sand and releasing it upwind, and instead immediately resorts to his anemometer, will not be able to make calculations later on. The same applies to the ability to hit the target without the use of aids.

The sniper must be connected to the earth and the rocks, the vegetation, and even the animals around him. He must blend into his surroundings in the most effective way possible. Only by doing this can he stealthily move into position during operational activity.

Combat troopers, and snipers in particular, should engage in fieldcraft, cross-country navigation, shooting, and be less preoccupied with the operation of computers and complex technological devices. Touching and feeling the earth and environment in which the sniper operates will ensure the best results in camouflage, stealth, and shooting.