FRIDAY FOTO (November 16, 2012)
November 16, 2012 at 1:39 am 4 comments
Snipers Three
U.K. Ministry of Defence. Crown Copyright/MOD. Photo by Mark Owens
A British sniper from 5 SCOTS (center), an Air Assault infantry battalion, and French snipers of the 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment were among the participants in a company level live fire training exercise in Britain earlier this year.
They may look like a cross between Swamp Thing and Cousin Itt from the Addams Family, but all three are wearing versions of a camouflage outfit known as a ghillie suit. The suit, worn by civilian hunters and military snipers, is designed to look like heavy foliage in a forest or field. It was originally developed by Scottish gamekeepers as a portable hunting blind and first adopted for war in 1916. The name derives from a Scottish word for “lad” or “servant.”
To see a very brief Polish video about ghillie suits on YouTube, click here.
Here’s another one click here. It’s kind of long — after about 2-3 minutes you get the idea. There’s also an ad at the beginning you can zap after a few seconds.
Exercise Boar’s Head, held at the U.K.’s Otterburn Training Area included a British Army infantry company from 5 SCOTS– the fifth of five battalions in the Royal Regiment of Scotland — a unit of the 16th Air Assault Brigade. A company from 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment, a unit of the French 11th Parachute Brigade, also participated.
Any small arms experts out there who can identify the sniper rifles these three shooters are carrying? Please post a comment at the bottom of this posting or email us at:
4gwar.wordpress.com
Entry filed under: FRIDAY FOTO, National Security and Defense, Photos, Skills and Training, Special Operations, Technology, Weaponry and Equipment. Tags: 5 SCOTS, 8 éme Régiment parachutiste d'Infanterie de Marine, British Army, camouflage suit, Defense, Exercise Boar's Head, French 11th Parachute Brigade, Royal Regiment of Scotland, sniper, Special Operations.
1.
me | December 4, 2012 at 5:24 pm
the rifle in the center is of course, an L118A w/ a suppressor, the rifle in the center is a PGM FR-12.7, the one on the left is the same, only w/ wooden stock and a shorter barrel
2.
John M. Doyle | December 4, 2012 at 8:26 pm
Thanks me. I knew someone would know the answer.
3.
Nick | December 11, 2012 at 11:09 am
That’s actually an FR F2 on the left, the standard french Sniper rifle, chambered in 7.62mm NATO.
4.
Gogaugche | January 15, 2013 at 8:25 pm
Very amateur from their part to walk around dressed in full ghillie suit. So much for concealment.
Rifle on the right is the PGM Hecate