A sniper is a military/paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment

or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities.[1] Snipers generally have specialized

training and are equipped with high-precision rifles and high-magnification optics, and often also
serve as scouts/observers feeding tactical information back to their units or command
headquarters.
In addition to long-range and high-grade marksmanship, military snipers are trained in a variety
of special operation techniques: detection, stalking, target range estimation
methods, camouflage, field craft, infiltration, special
reconnaissance and observation, surveillance and target acquisition.

Contents

 1Etymology
 2Modern warfare
o 2.1Military doctrine
o 2.2Sniper teams
o 2.3Law enforcement applications
o 2.4Longest recorded sniper kill
 3Military history
o 3.11701–1800
o 3.21801–1900
o 3.3Second Boer War
o 3.4World War I
o 3.5World War II
 4Training
o 4.1Accuracy
o 4.2U.S. military
o 4.3Russian Army
 5Targeting, tactics and techniques
o 5.1Range finding
o 5.2Hide sites and hiding techniques
o 5.3Shot placement
o 5.4Target acquisition
o 5.5Relocating
o 5.6Sound masking
o 5.7Psychological warfare
o 5.8Counter-sniper tactics
 6Irregular and asymmetric warfare
o 6.1War in Iraq
o 6.2Arab Spring
 7Notable military marksmen and snipers
o 7.117th century
o 7.218th century
o 7.319th century
o 7.420th century
o 7.521st century
 8See also
 9Notes
 10Further reading
 11External links
Etymology[edit]
The verb "to snipe" originated in the 1770s among soldiers in British India in reference to
shooting snipes, which was considered an extremely challenging game bird for hunters due to its
alertness, camouflaging color and erratic flight behavior. Snipe hunters therefore needed to be
stealthy in addition to being good trackers and marksmen. The agent noun "sniper" appears by
the 1820s.[2]
The term sniper was first attested militarily in 1824[3] in the sense of the somewhat older term
"sharpshooter", an 18th-century calque of German Scharfschütze, in use in British newspapers
as early as 1801.[2][4]

Modern warfare[edit]
Main articles: Snipers of the Soviet Union, Scout Sniper, Designated marksman, Special
reconnaissance, and ISTAR

Over-watch being provided by an army sergeant during a high-level meeting. (Baghdad, Iraq)

A U.S. Army sniper using a Barrett M82

Military doctrine[edit]
Different countries use different military doctrines regarding snipers in military units, settings,
and tactics.
Generally, a sniper's primary function in modern warfare is to provide detailed surveillance from a
concealed position and, if necessary, to reduce the enemy's combat ability by neutralizing high-
value targets (especially officers and other key personnel) and in the process pinning
down and demoralizing the enemy.[5][page  needed][6][page  needed] Typical sniper missions include
managing intelligence information they gather during reconnaissance, target
acquisition and impact feedback for air strikes and artillery, assisting employed combat force with
accurate fire support and counter-sniper tactics, killing enemy commanders, selecting targets of
opportunity, and even destruction of military equipment, which tend to require use of anti-materiel
rifles in the larger calibers such as the .50 BMG, like the Barrett M82, McMillan Tac-50,
and Denel NTW-20.[6][page  needed]
Soviet- and Russian-derived military doctrines include squad-level snipers. Snipers have
increasingly been demonstrated as useful by US and UK forces in the recent Iraq campaign in
a fire support role to cover the movement of infantry, especially in urban areas.[6][page  needed]
Military snipers from the US, UK and other countries that adopt their military doctrine are typically
deployed in two-man sniper teams consisting of a shooter and a spotter.[7][page  needed] A common
practice is for a shooter and a spotter to take turns in order to avoid eye fatigue.[6][page  needed] In most
recent combat operations occurring in large densely populated towns, such as Fallujah, Iraq, two
teams would be deployed together to increase their security and effectiveness in an urban
environment. A sniper team would be armed with a long-range weapon and a rapid-firing shorter-
ranged weapon in case of close quarter combat.
The German doctrine of largely independent snipers and emphasis on concealment, developed
during the Second World War, has been most influential on modern sniper tactics, and is
currently used throughout Western militaries (examples are specialized camouflage clothing,
concealment in terrain and emphasis on coup d'œil).[8][page  needed][9][10]

Sniper teams