July 31,2008:
In Iraq and Afghanistan, infantry
tactics have changed considerably over the last few years. This is largely gone
unnoticed back home, unless you happen to know an old soldier or marine that
remembers the old style of shooting. Put simply, the emphasis is on a lot fewer
bullets fired, and much more accurate shooting. Elite forces, like the Special
Forces and SEALs, have always operated this way. But that's because they had
the skill, and opportunity to train frequently, to make it work. But the army
and marines have found that their troops can fight the same way with the help
of some new weapons, equipment and tactics. Plus lots of combat experience and
specialized training. This includes the use of new shooting simulators, which
allows troops to fire a lot of virtual bullets, in a realistic setting, without
all the hassle and expense of going to a firing range.
One thing
that helped, and that was developing for two decades, was the greater used of
snipers. Currently, about ten percent of American infantry are trained and equipped as snipers.
Commanders have found that filling the battlefield with two man (spotter and
shooter) sniper teams not only provides more intelligence, but also lots of
precision firepower. Snipers are better at finding the enemy, and killing them
with a minimum of noise and fuss. But new rifle sights (both day and night
types), have made all infantry capable of accurate, single shot, fire. With the
emphasis on keeping civilian casualties down, and the tendency of the enemy to
use civilians as human shields, lots of snipers, or infantrymen who can take an
accurate shot at typical battle ranges (under 100 meters), are the best way to win without killing a lot
of civilians.
New sniper
equipment has made a big difference. The U.S. Army has been issuing the new M110 SASS (Semi-Automatic
Sniper System) to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. This weapon is not a big
technological breakthrough. It is based
on the older AR-10 rifle. The U.S. Navy has been buying a similar weapon, the
SR25. This is also known as the Mk11 Sniper Rifle System (SRS). These new
semi-automatic sniper rifles are 7.62mm weapons based on the designs of M-16
creator, former marine Gene Stoner. The basis for the M-16 was the
AR-15, and a 7.62mm version of that weapon was called the AR-10. About half the
parts in the SR25 are interchangeable with those in the M-16.
The Stoner sniper rifles achieved its high
accuracy partly by using a 20 inch heavy floating barrel. The
"floating" means that the barrel is attached only to the main body of
the rifle to reduce resonance (which throws off accuracy.) The M110 weighs 17.3
pounds in combat, and about 70 pounds with all components of the system. The
M110 can use a ten or twenty round magazine. The 40.5 inch long rifle can have
a six inch tube attached to the barrel, which reduces the noise and flash made
when the rifle fires, and largely eliminates nearby dust rising into the air,
which often gives away the snipers position.
Previously,
many snipers have had success using tuned up M-14s (from the 1960s) as sniper
rifles. While semi-automatic and rugged, the M14 wasn't designed to be a sniper
rifle. The AR-10 was a better model for a semi-automatic sniper rifle, since it
is inherently more reliable and accurate. As far back as World War II, it was
known that there were many situations where a semi-automatic sniper rifle would
come in handy. But it's taken over half a century to solve the reliability and
accuracy problems.
The M110
has largely replaced the bolt-action M24, and provided commanders with much
more effective snipers. That increase in numbers (of snipers) and their
effectiveness, has changed the look (less random fire from U.S. troops) and
feel (the U.S. troops appear more in control) of the battlefield. It's also
easier to spot the enemy. He's usually the guy firing on automatic. The fellows
firing one shot at a time are the Americans, and they are usually the last ones
standing.