Brits go for "super snipers"

Daily Mail:

The Army is creating a new breed of super-sniper to take on insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan who use innocent women and children for cover.


Until recently the Army's regiments had an average of just four snipers each and they were taught the basics of their role within their units.

But now senior officers have decided to double the number of snipers - and to train them to a far higher standard on an intensive eight-week course at the Army's weapons training ground in Brecon, Mid Wales, where they will learn the kind of advanced skills previously limited to units such as the SAS.

To complete their transformation into super-snipers, they will be trained to use a devastating new weapon - the British-made L115A1 rifle which can bring down an enemy target nearly three-quarters of a mile away with remarkable accuracy.

Army insiders say its great advantage is that snipers will be able to kill with a single shot, avoiding the "collateral damage" of hitting innocent bystanders.

Although the L115A1 will not officially be used by regular soldiers until next year, Army sources admitted last night that a small number would probably be trialled in the two war zones in the next few months.

The weapon will replace the less powerful L96 sniper rifle, which has a shorter kill range of just over half a mile. Most frontline soldiers use the standard Army issue SA80 rifle, accurate only to about a quarter of a mile.

The doubling of sniper numbers will bring the total in the Army to just under 300. Depending on military needs, snipers could be seconded between regiments to maximise efficiency.

Sniping has become a vital skill in Iraq and Afghanistan as insurgents increasingly use groups of women and children for cover while launching attacks on British troops.

The new super-snipers will be able to eliminate the gunmen while minimising any risk to the innocent civilians surrounding them.


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This is a photo of a British troop using the sniper rifle. Note the need for the new sniper rifle. The enemy is using human shields in violation of the laws of war. Is their any war crime the enemy has restrained himself from in pursuit of his objectives? Is their anyone in the media who will at least note in passing that their tactics and strategies are war crimes?