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[Skunkmiester]

Snipers have come and gone into and out of fashion through out the ages.

Napoleonic times saw a screen of skirmishers deployed in front of the main body of the army, armed with rifles rather than muskets for added range and accuracy, tasked with taking out officers and the like.

We suffered terribly at the hands of the Boers from their snipers but did little to counter them until Lord Lovat formed his Scouts for the Second War. Made up of gamekeepers and such from the Highlands, they excelled in shooting and field craft. Disbanded shortly after.

World War 1 saw a return to sniping as an artform with the static nature of the fighting but it was lost again shortly after and the painful lessons had to be relearned for the second world war.

Modern day has seen varying emphasis on the skill. With modern sights and weapons combined with modern camouflage, it was once thought everyone would be capable of sniping but conflicts have rather proven that specialists are still required.

They are very much seen as a weapon of static warfare and defence which goes against the ethos of "we shall be on the offensive" so beloved of high commands.

It is a shame that is the case. A modern sniper team can be the eyes and ears for company commanders and unit commanders, they can call in airstrikes artillery, mortars, give a accurate details of enemy movements with less chance of discovery and give up to date information regarding the lay of the land for future operations. And if it really comes down to it, they can do their core role of taking out the comms and then leadership of an enemy force. etc etc

It surprised me that these lessons had to be pushed and weren't as well understood back in the 90's.

 

[Sttrory]

 

[load_fin]

It is a shame that is the case. A modern sniper team can be the eyes and ears for company commanders and unit commanders, they can call in airstrikes artillery, mortars, give a accurate details of enemy movements with less chance of discovery and give up to date information regarding the lay of the land for future operations. And if it really comes down to it, they can do their core role of taking out the comms and then leadership of an enemy force. etc etc

It surprised me that these lessons had to be pushed and weren't as well understood back in the 90's.

...and drones can do almost all of that, barring long term observation.

 

[Skunkmiester]

...and drones can do almost all of that, barring long term observation.

Not silently they can't

 

[shopgirl]

 

[Excognito]

The attention to detail is superb - they even crash just like the real thing as well.

I particularly liked the Air France Concorde-Crash Reenactment Society's offering ...

 

[Burnham]

 

[Excognito]

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Dear Santa........

Is that a picture of the haggis before you've eaten it or 24 hours after consumption?

 

[Gardner6LXB]

 

[BossHogg]

 

[BossHogg]

 

[BossHogg]

 

[BossHogg]

 

[BossHogg]

 

[BossHogg]