Counter-Sniper Tactics

There are many tactics to counter a sniper. Sometimes the enemy will place a doll dressed up as “the enemy” and place it so it looks like it’s trying to take cover. A sniper might see this as an easy kill and shoot it. While the sniper takes the shot the enemy can look at the angle from which the bullet came from and a shot from an anti-tank rifle will be fired or the area will be bombarded by mortars towards the sniper’s direction and eliminate him/her.

Another tactic used is booby traps. Booby traps such as claymore mines, trip-wired hand grenades or smoke bombs can be placed in suspected sniper positions. Even though a smoke bomb might not eliminate the sniper it can reveal his position.

An old but not so efficient tactic that was once used was placing rags in bushes. This was to create a distraction in the eyes of a sniper. This tactic would hardly fool a highly trained marksman. It would just provide him with the wind direction near the target.

Another tactic used to counter a sniper is known as “Close and Destroy” a.k.a Rush. If the firing sniper is close enough and the enemy has detected the sniper’s position then a squad will be sent to rush the sniper’s position. This will result in the elimination of the sniper and fewer casualties as opposed to being slowly picked off by the sniper. What better way to counter a sniper than with another sniper.

With similar training, knowledge of the surroundings, and equipment, the friendly sniper can offer advice to the squad, enhanced searching capability, and a means to combat the enemy sniper directly. In a sniper vs. sniper situation who wins? There can only be one winner so how do you know who wins if they are equally trained? They might be equally trained but they do not have the same body control. The sniper that can control his body more will be victorious in the end.

Missions of The Ghost Warriors

Snipers are sent on many different missions. They do not just shoot people. A sniper might be sent on a mission to take out enemies with machine guns because of the heavy fire preventing anybody to get close. They are also sent to take out radio operators, enemy snipers, and equipment. Snipers can be sent on a mission to direct air strikes or to direct artillery or mortar fire. By destroying radio operators they are cutting of the enemy’s contact with one another. If a sniper can prevent the enemy from communicating with one another then the sniper can prevent from being hit with an air strike or mortar fire because there is no way people in the air can fire without a location. A sniper’s mission might just be reconnaissance and collect intelligence from the enemy and not take a single shot. If a sniper is caught they might be killed at the spot no questions asked.

Snipers are allowed to hide anything that will mark him or give a tell that he/she is a sniper. Another technique used by highly skilled marksman to prevent detection is sound masking. Sniper rifles make a loud noise when being fired like the drop of the artillery shells to the ground or the sound of the bullet being fired from the rifle.

SNIPER FACT: In the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese Army put a bounty on the head of any U.S. sniper captured alive.

            Snipers are one of the most dangerous people in war. Why? Snipers can shoot from a spot so far that it might not be visible to the human eye. The longest range recorded for a sniper kill currently stands at 2,475 meters (1.5 miles) and was achieved by CoH Craig Harrison. They are referred to as Ghost Warriors because just like a real ghost, it’s there but you can’t see it. Throughout history people have developed tactics to counter a sniper.

The Stalk pt.2

Relocating is not the only way a shooter uses to prevent exposure from the enemy. A sniper must learn to camouflage. To camouflage is to blend in with the environment making it harder to be spotted or hit. Snipers use ghillie suits to help them camouflage. A ghillie suit is a set of clothes specially modified to look like a pile of underbrush that fits the environment from where the shooter will be when taking the shot.  The ghillies suit was created by a Scottish warden to catch poachers. The ghillie suit is used when on stalking missions. A sniper also uses face paint to camouflage. The color and pattern of the face paint also depends on the environment from where the shooter will be hiding.

Hide sites are used for cover and concealment where a sniper can conduct surveillance and fire from. It will cover them from the enemy and give the shooter good visibility. A position might look like an ideal location for a hide site but might be the way to the enemy. When a sniper is on a stalking mission he is to use a ghillie suit. It can take hours for a sniper to move a couple of inches to get closer to the enemy. If a sniper feels like he might have been spotted he is to stay immovable to avoid detection even if it takes hours. "The longest wait was three days…we were in a big bush, 300 yards above a village. Eventually, they came out and we dropped two out of three of them" (Sgt. Ed Kuglar). Since a sniper is expected to remain immovable for such a long period they cannot up get for any reason. It has been known of that people have walked over snipers without noticing that they are there.

What is so important about the stalk? If you can stalk then your mission will most likely be successful. Snipers aren't only sent on killing missions. There are many different missions for snipers.