Crack thump sniper

The time lag can be used to estimate the distance of sniper. The above graph shows the distance based upon the time lag between crack of the bullet and thump of the rifle. Also, beyond a certain distance, the bullet starts to loose speed due to air resistance and the time lag saturates, and gradually reduces till the crack and thump are heard at the same time.

Hence this method is used only for targets in range of to metres. Many a times, an aggressive sniper will shoot everything that moves including the bait. There are several methods of estimating sniper position from the bullet hole. One of them is reverse azimuth. By measuring the Azimuth angles , the elevation and direction of the enemy sniper can be obtained. For Trilateration, battle units scatter and provoke the snipers to fire.

Each sub-unit estimates a general direction from which the shots are being fired. All the sub-units positions are then marked on a map and general direction drawn. The intersecting location is estimated as sniper position. As you can see, the different units scatter around the terrain and gather data from the shots fired by the sniper. Finally, the unit positions are marked on the map green dot , arcs are drawn based on the estimated distance and the overlapping area is the suspected enemy sniper position.

The data collection can be done through many techiques, for instance the reverse azimuth and crack-thump technique to get the elevation, direction and distance from the enemy sniper. To narrow down on the area, techniques like Trilateration is used.

This method is quite risky in case there are multiple snipers at different locations on the lookout. Instead of getting one enemy sniper location, the units may face fire from different directions. K9 units are extremely useful in tracking an enemy sniper. Trained dogs, who have an elevated sense of smell and hearing make excellent detectors. A sniper may camouflage themself, but will not be able to hide the smell or the heat from his body.

Additionally, dogs also have excellent night vision. Also, due to their acute powers of hearing, dogs can detect the direction of the sound very well and attack if asked. In fact, during the Iraq and Afghanistan war, the snipers gave serious trouble to the US Armed forces. The snipers easily mixed with the local population, such was the nature of armies in those places, and easily eliminate their targets from the rooftops from densely populated areas. Once the position of enemy sniper is estimated, the location is bombarded with artillary fire or drones.

In case of urban areas, it is not possible to use artillery fire and drones lest the bulidings are destroyed, making it harder to navigate for the soldiers. In such cases, the battle units use smoke screens to hide themselves and steadily approach the suspected location of the enemy sniper.

The next step is to block all escape routes and wait for the sniper to expose himself. One of the soldiers enters the building to eliminate the sniper while rest of them remain on positions.

This way, even if one of them is injured, the others can rush to their aid immediately and take the sniper by surprise. In case there are multiple snipers at multiple positions, the platoon is divided into small units and all units attack at once at all the suspected sniper locations.

Each unit needs to have tools like smoke screens and grenades, to hide their movements and force the sniper to abandon their hideout. They also need to watch out for booby traps like Trip-mine setup by the enemy sniper. These were some of the basic counter sniper techniques used by militaries all around the world. In the current era of modern warfare, there are much more sophisticated systems in use for detection of enemy snipers, but this is all for the post.

You are commenting using your WordPress. He indicates this feature and any other information to the sniper to assist in finding the target.

Information between team members varies with the situation. The observer may sound like an FO giving a call for fire to an FDC depending on the condition of the battlefield and the total number of possible targets from which to choose.

Moving targets may expose themselves for only a short time The sniper team must note the point of disappearance of each target, if possible, before engagement.

By doing so, the team may be able to take several targets under fire in rapid succession. If several targets appear and disappear at the same time, the point of disappearance of each is hard to determine; therefore, sniper teams concentrate on the most important targets. The greater the distance between targets, the harder it is to see their movement. In such cases, the team should locate and engage the nearest targets.

Targets that disappear behind good aiming points are easily recorded and remembered, targets with poor aiming points are easily lost.

Assuming that two such targets are of equal value and danger, the team should engage the more dangerous aiming point target first. Determination of Location of Hidden Fires. When using the crack-thump method, the team listens for the crack of the round and the thump of the weapon being fired. By using this method, the sniper can obtain both a direction and a distance.

The time difference between the crack and the thump can be converted into an approximate range. A one-second lapse between the two is about yards with most calibers; a one-half-second lapse is about yards.

By observing in the direction of the thump and near the predetermined range, the sniper team has a good chance of seeing the enemy's muzzle flash or blast from subsequent shots. Shot-Hole Analysis. Locating two or more shot holes in trees, walls, dummy heads, and so forth may make it possible to determine the direction of the shots. The team can use the dummy-head pencil method and triangulate on the enemy sniper's position.

However, this method only works if all shots come from the same position. Target selection may be forced upon the sniper team. A target moving rapidly may be lost while obtaining positive identification. The sniper team considers any enemy threatening its position as a high-value target. When selecting key targets, the team must consider the following factors:.

Threat to the Sniper Team. The sniper team must consider the danger the target presents. This can be an immediate threat, such as an enemy element walking upon its position, or a future threat, such as enemy snipers or dog tracking teams.

Probability of First-Round Hit. The sniper team must determine the chances of hitting the target with the first shot by considering the following:. Amount of time the target is exposed. Speed and direction of target movement. Certainty of Target's Identity. The sniper team must be reasonably certain that the target it is considering is the key target. Target Effect on the Enemy. The sniper team must consider what effect the elimination of the target will have on the enemy's fighting ability It must determine that the target is the one available target that will cause the greatest harm to the enemy.

Enemy Reaction to Sniper Fire. The sniper team must consider what the enemy will do once the shot has been fired. The team must be prepared for such actions as immediate suppression by indirect fires and enemy sweeps of the area.

Effect on the Overall Mission. The sniper team must consider how the engagement will affect the overall mission. The mission may be one of intelligence gathering for a certain period. Firing will not only alert the enemy to a team's presence, but it may also terminate the mission if the team has to move from its position as a result of the engagement. Key personnel targets can be identified by actions or mannerisms, by positions within formations, by rank or insignias, and or by equipment being worn or carried.

Key targets can also include weapon systems and equipment. Examples of key targets areas follows:. Snipers are the number one target of a sniper team. The enemy sniper not only poses a threat to friendly forces, but he is also the natural enemy of the sniper. The fleeting nature of a sniper is reason enough to engage him because he may never be seen again.

Dog Tracking Teams. Dog tracking teams pose a great threat to sniper teams and other special teams that may be working in the area.

It is hard to fool a trained dog. When engaging a dog tracking team, the sniper should engage the dog's handler first. This confuses the dog, and other team members may not be able to control it. Scouts are keen observers and provide valuable information about friendly units. This plus their ability to control indirect fires make them dangerous on the battlefield. Scouts must be eliminated. Officers are another key target of the sniper team.

Losing key officers in some forces is such a major disruption to the operation that forces may not be able to coordinate for hours. Noncommissioned Officers. Losing NCOs not only affects the operation of a unit but also affects the morale of lower ranking personnel, f. Vehicle Commanders and Drivers. Many vehicles are rendered useless without a commander or driver. Communications Personnel. In some forces, only highly trained personnel know how to operate various types of radios.

Eliminating these personnel can be a serious blow to the enemy's communication network. Optics on Vehicles. Personnel who are in closed vehicles are limited to viewing through optics.

The sniper can blind a vehicle by damaging these optic systems. Communication and Radar Equipment. The right shot in the right place can completely ruin a tactically valuable radar or communication system. Also, only highly trained personnel may attempt to repair these systems in place. Eliminating these personnel may impair the enemy's ability to perform field repair.

Weapon Systems. Many high-technology weapons, especially computer-guided systems, can be rendered useless by one well-placed round in the guidance controller of the system. A sniper team is required to accurately determine distance, to properly adjust elevation on the sniper weapon system, and to prepare topographical sketches or range cards. Because of this, the team has to be skilled in various range estimation techniques.

Three factors affect range estimation: nature of the target, nature of the terrain, and light conditions. Sniper teams use range estimation methods to determine distance between their position and the target.