One Of The Best Snipers In The World Who Volunteered To Fight For Ukraine Returns Home To Quebec In Disappointment.

 

WNU Editor: After fighting in Ukraine for almost two months and experiencing many close calls Sniper Wali is back in Quebec, and he does not get a reassuring picture on what is happening in the war right now. He claims he killed no one, but he watched his friends die around him, and was always struggling with a lack of food, weapons, ammunition, or with weapons like the US Javelin missile that he found made no difference in the fighting. He also mentioned that Ukrainian commanders do not know what to do with foreign fighters like him. And he found Russian fire was deadly accurate. He also saw a lot of desertions, corruption, and weapons being sold by Ukrainian soldiers. 

The press is ignoring his story, but kudos to Montreal's La Presse who interviewed him a few days ago to give a voice to his concerns on the state of the war in Ukraine right now .... Retour du tireur d'élite Wali « La guerre, c’est une déception terrible » (La Presse).

US Army Special Operations Command Held Its Annual International Sniper Competition In March

 

Business Insider: Army special operators invited other US troops and other militaries to a sniper competition. Here's who came out on top. 

* US Army Special Operations Command hosted its annual international sniper competition in March. 

* The competition includes US and foreign military snipers as well as law-enforcement marksmen. 

* Since beginning in 2004, it has become one of the best ways to test those sharpshooters' skills. 

Every year, sharpshooters from around the world gather in North Carolina for one of the most exclusive military sniper competitions. 

US Army Special Operations Command's international sniper competition brings together sniper teams from special-operations and conventional units as well as law-enforcement agencies from dozens of countries. 

Snipers are an essential part of every military. They can take out valuable targets at long ranges and conduct reconnaissance in hard-to-reach areas. The international sniper competition, which began in 2004, has become one of the best ways to test the skills of those marksmen.  

Read more .... 

US Army Special Operations Command Held Its Annual International Sniper Competition In March  

‘I want the rain. I want it to be nasty’ — How the world’s deadliest snipers compete -- Task & Purpose  

US Army special operators take first place in international sniper competition -- The Blaze  

Army Rangers Take 1st Place at Marine Corps Scout Sniper Competition -- Coffee Or Die

U.S. Army Showcase Their New Sniper Rifle

 

Warzone/The Drive: Army Green Berets Brought Out Their Newest Sniper Rifle For A Celebrity Shoot-Off 

Army Green Berets first began receiving their new Advanced Sniper Rifles last year and conventional units are now set to get versions of these guns. 

One of Barrett's Mk 22 Mod 0 Advanced Sniper Rifles, the U.S. special operations community's newest sniper rifle, has made one of its first public appearances at a recent Celebrity Tactical Challenge held at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. 

While most of the official photos from the event show individuals firing Glock pistols and AR-15/M16 pattern carbines in typical configurations used by Army special operations forces, one set of images shows actor Mark Valley firing a Mk 22. The first of these guns only began heading to operational Army Special Forces units last year. 

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WNU Editor: Speaking of snipers. I love the video tweet from US Army General James C. McConville below:

Snipers with 2nd Battalion, 34th Armored Regiment (2-34), 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division participate in a sniper range at Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area, Poland. pic.twitter.com/4mIAoHJ0vi

— GEN James C. McConville (@ArmyChiefStaff) January 4, 2022

The Barrett M82 Is The U.S. Military’s Most Powerful Sniper Rifle

Cpl. Kaden Prickett, machine gunner and team leader with Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command, fires a .50 caliber Special Applications Scoped Rifle at a target 1,200 meters away, in the Central Command area of operations, Jan. 6, 2015. Marines and sailors of Golf Company spent time on the range getting acquainted with various weapons systems and cross-training one another in their respective areas of expertise. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Carson A. Gramley/Released). 

19FortyFive: Barrett M82: The U.S. Military’s Most Powerful Sniper Rifle 

Fact: The most powerful sniper rifle in the U.S. Military was designed in a garage — and handmade.

The Origins 

The story of the M82 begins with Ronnie Barrett. Barrett, a photographer with no formal gunsmith training or experience, is said to have been inspired to design and build the M82 .50 caliber rifle while photographing a river patrol boat similar to the type used by American forces during the Vietnam war. In one of the resulting photographs, a .50 caliber machine gun is prominently silhouetted. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: I like the part where this sniper rifle was designed in a garage — and handmade.

Russia Is Boasting That Their New Long Range Sniper Rifle Will Be Able To Hit Targets Seven Kilometers Away

Dmitry Rogulin/TASS

Russia Beyond: World’s longest range sniper rifle to be unveiled in 2020

DXL-5 ‘Havoc’ is said to be the first sniper rifle in the world capable of eliminating targets 7 kilometers (4.35 miles) away.

Russian sniper rifle manufacturer Lobaev Arms announced their latest development DXL-5, capable of hitting targets 7,000 meters (7,655 yards) away will be unveiled in November 2020.

“We’re working on the ‘DXL-5 Havoc’ project in full swing. We are currently processing the remaining parts of the rifle and are scheduled for shooting tests in November,” says Vladislav Lobaev, the owner of Lobaev Arms.

He claims the new rifle will be “revolutionary” and will be built with four different cartridge variations.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Seven kilometres?!?!?!?

What It Takes To Be A Sniper

We Are The Mighty: 7 things all troops should know before becoming a sniper

For decades, snipers have been a dominating instrument of warfare striking fear in the heart of their enemies — scoring record kill shots from distances up to two miles away.

With Hollywood tapping into the sniper lifestyle with such films as "American Sniper" and the "Sniper" franchise, many young troops get a misconception of what it's like to be one.

So we asked a few veteran snipers what would they want young troops to know before embarking on the intense journey to become a sniper. Here's what they said:

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WNU Editor: Definitely not like the movies.

Longest-Range Sniper Rifle Used By Russian Special Forces

Lobaev Arms

Russia Beyond: The longest-range sniper rifle used by Russian special forces

This weapon lets snipers kill the enemy at a range of 2.5 km and sneak away unnoticed.

In early 2020, a number of Russian special forces units were supplied with the DXL-4 sniper rifle — the “army” version of the longest-range rifle in the world produced by Lobaev Arms (link to Sumrak article).

This weapon was created not just to destroy the enemy on the battlefield, but for targeted attacks on low-observable targets at ultra-long sniper range from 1.5 to 2.5 km.

At this distance, even through the prism of the most cutting-edge optics, the target looks no larger than an ant. All the same, Russia’s new sniper rifle can hit this target, regardless of wind, rain, and other adverse weather conditions.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: That 2.5 km range is impressive.

A Smart Rifle System Is Being Tested By US Special Forces Troops In syria

Business Insider/Task & Purpose: US special operations troops in Syria are testing a 'guaranteed hit' smart rifle system

* US special operations troops in Syria were shown testing out a new smart rifle system that promises a "guaranteed hit."
* The SMASH 2000 system uses a weapon-mounted optic and special pistol grip that allows the shooter to lock on to a target and fire when a hit is assured, the system's developer says.

US special operations forces are currently testing and evaluating a specially designed computerized fire control and rifle sight system downrange in Syria, US Special Operations Command confirmed to Task & Purpose.

Photos published to the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) on May 30, first reported by The War Zone, show several unidentified US service members at the At Tanf garrison in Syria engaging targets with M4 carbines outfitted with a SMASH 2000 system.

The SMASH 2000, developed by Israeli defense contractor Smart Shooter in cooperation with Sig Sauer, uses a weapon-mounted optic and special pistol grip that "allows you to acquire, lock on and engage targets ... [and] the weapon to fire only when it's a guaranteed hit," company CEO Devin Schweiss previously told Military.com.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This will be the future of warfare.

U.S. Snipers Want This New rifle

A student of the Special Forces Sniper Course at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School moves quietly while avoiding detection during a stalking exercise at Fort Bragg, NC, on January 27, 2011. US Army

Business Insider: 'It's an awesome gun': US snipers are pumped to get the new rifle soldiers, Marines, and special operators all want

* In the past year, the US Army, Marine Corps, and Special Operations Command have all shown interest in the same bolt-action rifle for their snipers — the Barrett Multi-Role Adaptive Design (MRAD) rifle able to fire three different rounds.
* "We're excited about it because it's going to improve capabilities, it's going to improve our ability to conduct operations, and it is going to allow for a more flexible sniper element," a veteran Army sniper told Insider.
* The multi-caliber rifle known by a few different names can be chambered in 7.62X51 mm NATO, .300 Norma Magnum, and .338 Norma Magnum, meaning snipers no longer have to choose between weapons systems capable of firing different rounds for different missions and targets.

The Army, the Marine Corps, and the special operations community all want the same bolt-action rifle for their snipers, and US sharpshooters are excited to get their hands on it.

"It's an awesome gun," 1st Sgt. Kevin Sipes, a seasoned Army sniper, told Insider, referring to the Barrett Multi-Role Adaptive Design (MRAD) rifle, known as the Precision Sniper Rifle (PSR) in the Army and the Advanced Sniper Rifle (ASR) by Special Operations Command and the Marines.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The specs are impressive. 

Soviet Female Sniper With 309 Confirmed Kills Revealed In Fascinating Pics

Photo: Pavlichenko is credited as being the most successful female sniper ever, with an astonishing 309 confirmed kills. Credit: Bournemouth News

The SUN: LADY DEATH Female sniper with 309 confirmed kills revealed in fascinating pics of the most lethal World War II sharpshooters

A FEMALE sniper nicknamed "Lady Death" is revealed in these remarkable photos that show Second World War's deadliest snipers in action.

Credited with 309 kills, the Ukrainian-born Lyudmila Pavlichenko was a sniper in the Red Army during World War Two.

She was the most successful female sniper in history with 309 confirmed kills, including 36 enemy snipers.

Pavlichenko became a legend during the Sieges of Odessa and Sevastopol in 1941-42, recording 187 kills in Odessa alone.

In June 1942, Pavlichenko was wounded by mortar fire.

Having become a Red Army poster-child, she was removed from combat and toured the US, Canada and Britain after the war.

Read more ....

WNU editor:  She definitely has an interesting history.

This Sniper Is Good

Students listening to the sergeant explain his techniques. He still has his head down in this picture, making him almost invisible. Ryan Pickrell/Business Insider

Business Insider: A top sniper slipped past about a dozen Marines — no one saw him even when he was less than 3 feet away

 * Insider recently observed scout snipers going through stalking training at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.
 * Before the students entered the field, an instructor demonstrated proper technique.
 * Not only was everyone unable to find the sniper with various optics at the observation post roughly 1,000 feet from his position, but a dozen Marines, a couple of Army Rangers, and I were unable to find him when he was less than 3 feet away.

Imagine an enemy you can't see, an invisible hunter as lethal as any of nature's fiercest predators. A concealed sniper is by far one of the deadliest forces on the battlefield.

Insider visited Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia recently to observe US military snipers as they practiced hiding in plain sight. Before the training began, an instructor showed everyone how it's done.

Read more ....

WNU editor: I suspect this was a very sobering experience for the Marines and Army Rangers who could not find him.

This Is How A Marine Corps Sniper Put A Bullet In A Target Nearly 8,000 Feet Away

A US Marine Corps sniper sighting in with the Mk13 Mod 7 sniper rifle at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. US Marine Corps/Staff Sgt. Bryan Nygaard

Business Insider: A US Marine Corps sniper sighting in with the Mk13 Mod 7 sniper rifle at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. US Marine Corps/Staff Sgt. Bryan Nygaard

* Snipers are defined, at least in part, by their ability to put precision fire on a target at great — sometimes extreme — distances.
* Staff Sgt. Hunter Bernius, a veteran Marine Corps scout sniper who runs an advanced urban sniper training course, walked INSIDER through his most technically difficult shot, which involved shooting at a target 2,300 meters (1.4 miles, or 7,545 feet) away.
* At that distance, it takes the bullet roughly six to eight seconds to reach the target, so the sniper must factor in wind, direction, time of day, the spindrift of the round — and even the rotation of the Earth.

US military snipers have to be able to make the hard shots, the seemingly impossible shots. They have to be able to push themselves and their weapons.

Staff Sgt. Hunter Bernius, a veteran Marine Corps scout sniper who runs an advanced urban sniper training course, walked INSIDER through his most technically difficult shot: He fired a bullet into a target roughly 2,300 meters (1.4 miles, or 7,545 feet) away with a .50-caliber sniper rifle.

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WNU Editor: I am over joyed if I can hit a target 200m away. But 2,300m!!!!! That is an incredible  accomplishment.

How Kurdish Snipers Help Break The Islamic State

Photo: WSJ

Wall Street Journal: ‘Long Shot’ Review: Triggering a Revolution

A memoir by an Iranian deserter turned Kurdish sniper who picked off 250 Islamic State fighters during the battle of Kobani.

For the past seven years, in the northeast wedge of Syria abutting Turkey, Iraq and Islamic State, a band of zealous Kurds have built an unrecognized state called Rojava and tried to keep it from being overrun. Rojava is governed like a 1980s Berkeley dorm discussion whose participants have acquired automatic weapons. They are anarcho-leftist, environmentally conscious, secular, socialist and radically devoted to equality of the sexes. One manifestation of this last commitment is a coed guerrilla force, including male and female snipers (féministes fatales, if you will) who have been picking off the male jihadists of Islamic State with gusto for the past five years.

A new memoir, “Long Shot: The Inside Story of the Snipers Who Broke ISIS,” tells the story of the group’s sniper battles against Islamic State, with a heavy dose of the group’s leftism. The author, writing under the name Azad Cudi, is a Kurdish sniper now in Europe. Iranian by birth, he deserted his post in the Iranian military and fled to exile in Yorkshire, England, in 2004. There he read the work of Abdullah Öcalan, the terrorist-intellectual founder of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and found that man’s turgid Maoism enchanting. At the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, Rojava was founded on an Öcalanist model, and in 2013, when confrontation between Rojava and ISIS became inevitable, Mr. Cudi traveled to Syria to defend it.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This book looks interesting .... particular for those who are interested in snipers and how to be a sniper. And if the contents of this book are true, heaven help the Turkish Army if they should confront these type of fighters on the battlefield.

Here Is How America's Snipers Disappear

U.S. Army Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), fire the M24 Sniper Weapon System during weapons density at Fort Campbell, Ky. Jan. 9, 2019. U.S. Army Photo by Capt. Justin Wright

Business Insider: No one hides like a sniper — here's how America's deadliest sharpshooters disappear

Snipers are masters of disguise who are able to hide in plain sight, providing overwatch, scouting enemy positions, and, when necessary, taking out threats.

"No one knows you're there. I'm here. I'm watching you, I see everything that you are doing, and someone is about to come mess up your day," First Sgt. Kevin Sipes, a Texas native and experienced US Army sniper, said during a recent interview.

"We are capable of hurting you in many ways ... We're not going to tell you how we're coming. But, we're coming for you."

Read more ....

WNU Editor: It all comes down to putting anything you can between yourself and the watchful eyes of the enemy.

This Is Why The US Coast Guard's Snipers Are Some Of The Best In The World

Petty Officer 1st Class Jesse Pitrelli and Petty Officer 1st Class Peter Purcell at Army Sniper School at Fort Benning, Georgia, February 16, 2016. Pitrelli and Purcell are the first active-duty Coast Guardsmen in history to graduate from Army Sniper school. US Coast Guard

Business Insider: These photos show why the US Coast Guard's snipers are some of the best in the business

FT. LAUDERDALE, Florida — Once the Coast Guard has a suspect vessel in its sights on the high seas, there's usually nowhere for it to go, but getting it to stop isn't always easy.

The crew of the Coast Guard cutter James returned to Florida last week with nearly 38,000 pounds of cocaine seized by it and other Coast Guard ships in the Pacific. Stacked on some of the bales of cocaine were clear signs of the Coast Guard's precision.

"So what you see here are some engine cowlings," said Capt. Jeffrey Randall, commander of the James, referring to the half-dozen plastic covers perched on bales of seized drugs like trophies.

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WNU Editor: I guess you have to be very good to be able to shoot and disable a boat's engine from a helicopter.

The U.S. Coast Guard Has Better Snipers Than The Marine Corps

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Task & Purpose: The Coast Guard Has Better Snipers Than The Freakin’ Marine Corps

Marine snipers are considered among the most elite hunters of men in the U.S. military with Hollywood movies and countless books dedicated to them, and yet, for the past two years, they have been beaten in competition by the freakin’ Coast Guard.

Over the past week, the 2018 International Sniper Competition has played out at Fort Benning, Georgia, with 30 teams going head-to-head from U.S. and international militaries, as well as local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.

And for the second year in row, snipers from the Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment came out on top, while the Corps’ finest got rocked by the service branch most would derisively label “puddle pirates.”

Well, who’s laughing now?

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The Facebook page for this competition is here .... US Army International Sniper Competition.

A New Sniper Suit For The U.S. Army

82nd Airborne Division sniper. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Kissta DiGregorio

Popular Mechanics: The U.S. Army Is Testing a New Sniper Suit

So-called “Ghillie” suits allow snipers to blend in with surrounding terrain.

The U.S. Army is on the verge of testing new specialized suits designed to let snipers approach their targets while blending in with their surroundings. The new improved ghillie system (IGS) will offer significant advantages over the older system while still making Army snipers look like vegetable men from another world.

During World War I, Scottish marksmen wore what they called “ghillie” suits to camouflage themselves on the battlefield. Designed to break up the profile of an ordinary human and make the user look like a large bush, the “ghillie” (Scottish slang for “man”) were inspired by suits Scottish gamekeepers wore to catch poachers.

Read more ....

WNU Editor:  On the other side the Russians are trying to improve their sniper rifle .... This Russian Company Plans a Sniper Rifle That Can Fire Rounds At Mach 5.83 (FoxTrot Alpha).

Russian President Putin Tests A New Sniper Rifle

Daily Mail: Putin the sniper: Russian leader achieves three successful 'kill shots' from 2,000 feet as he tests latest Kalashnikov rifle

* Putin was pictured taking to the ranges on Wednesday at Moscow's Patriot Park
* Three out of five shots taken by the President were accurate enough to kill
* He was testing the Kalashnikov-designed Chukavin sniper's rifle, SVCh-308

Vladimir Putin proved himself a deadly killer today as video emerged of the Russian President testing a sniper rifle.

The Kremlin strongman hit the head, liver and abdomen of a static target at 1,968 feet as he took to the ranges on Wednesday at the at the Patriot park in Moscow region.

Three of his five shots were accurate enough to kill with the Kalashnikov-designed Chukavin sniper's rifle known as the SVCh-308.

The other two missed the target.

Read more ....

Update: Sniper Putin: Russian president tests new Kalashnikov marksman rifle (VIDEOS) -- RT

WNU editor: They say that three of the five shots hit the target 1,968 feet away. Hmmmm .... I am skeptical.

A Look At Russia's Newest Sniper Rifle

The Russian-built T-5000 is a cutting edge sniper rifle designed to take precision shots at extended ranges. ORSIS

Forbes: Meet The Sniper Rifle That Protects Vladimir Putin

Being a world leader, particularly one as controversial as Russia’s current president, doesn’t come without its risks. With troops in Ukraine and Syria, encroachment on the border with Georgia, and a simmering insurgency in the North Caucuses, Russia isn’t exactly shying away from conflict. So who keeps President Putin safe from his enemies? The agents of the Federal Protective Service (FSO). In order to defend against long-range rifle threats, the FSO’s counter-snipers use a state of the art weapon of their own: the ORSIS T-5000.

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WNU Editor: Looks deadly.

A Closer Look At The U.S. Marines New Sniper Rifle

Marine spokesperson Capt. Christopher Harrison recently confirmed that snipers will carry the Mk 13 Mod 7 instead of the M40 system favored since the Vietnam War. (Image: Marine Corps Times video screenshot)

Popular Mechanics: U.S. Marines Are Finally Getting a New Sniper Rifle

The old M40 rifle is on the way out.

The U.S. Marine Corps is replacing its existing sniper rifles with a newer model that fires a heavier, longer-range bullet. The new Mark 13 Mod 7 sniper rifle, a favorite of Navy SEALs is replacing the older M40 series of rifles. The result is a more accurate rifle with the potential to hit targets at nearly three quarters of a mile.

Read more ....

More News On The New Sniper Rifle For The U.S. Marines

The Marine Corps Is Finally Getting The Sniper Rifle It Deserves -- Task & Purpose
Marine snipers are getting new Mk 13 rifles -- Marine Times
Marines thrilled with sniper upgrade; rifle promises ‘certain doom’ for enemies -- Washington Times
Marine scout snipers to get new Mk 13 Mod 7 rifles -- Guns.com
US Marine Corps to Finally Get New Mk 13 Mod 7 Sniper Rifles -- Sputnik