Snipers of the "new model" hoped to get samples of modern foreign rifles for full-fledged training. However, they were disappointed in the form of outdated Russian SVD equipped with a folding stock and Vintorezov, Izvestia newspaper reported.
At the moment, instructors are paying special attention to practicing the accuracy of shooting from Russian-made rifles and developing cadets' skills in psychological stability in combat conditions. However, at the same time, they fully recognize the fact that in the event of a real confrontation with snipers who have long-range rifles, the chances of victory are negligible. Izvestia published the words of one of the instructors conducting training at the center of sniper units. On condition of anonymity, he mentioned that before the start of classes, they hoped to get the best foreign samples of sniper rifles.
According to the future sniper, they thought that they would be able to choose for training any rifles equipped with good optics, with a long aiming range, and any uniforms. In this case, Austrian Mannliche rifles and British AWM-F rifles would be ordered, as well as thermal underwear that allows you to sit in ambush for hours. However, in fact, it turned out that the cadets were given only one standard weapon.
He mentioned that Russian models of rifles allow snipers to confidently fire in forests, cities, mountains, with the fire support of special forces soldiers. But in the case of counter-sniper combat, when "free shooters" hunt down each other, they are practically useless. A soldier with a Dragunov rifle has extremely low chances.
Representatives of the headquarters of the Southern Military District confirmed to Izvestia that samples of foreign-made rifles have not been supplied to any military unit, since they are not in service with the Russian army. However, at the same time, the reconnaissance units of the Russian Airborne Forces have already begun to master the Mannlicher sniper rifles, which they received at the end of the year. The General Staff mentioned that combat snipers may not receive long-range rifles from foreign manufacturers at all.
According to the military, the rifles will be tested in special forces before the end of this year. After that, the question of placing them on alert will be decided. At the moment, they are considered only as weapons for special forces units to work on a specific program, and in a normal field exit, snipers will in any case be given the main type of weapon.
The head of the analytical department at the Institute of Military and Political Analysis, Alexander Khramchikhin, provided comments on the situation with rifles for field snipers. He assumed that combat units would never receive good rifles. According to him, it is “naive to believe” that the ground forces, which are always equipped on a leftover basis, will receive the latest weapons. Only after good rifles fully satisfy the needs of the Airborne Forces and special forces, high-precision rifles will begin to enter regular units.
In turn, the president of the Institute for Strategic Assessments and Analysis, Alexander Konovalov, noted that rifles of Austrian and British production are several times more expensive than Russian ones. And the benefits, he said, are not so obvious. When conducting a combined arms battle, there are not so many significant advantages for long-range rifles. In addition, using a French or English rifle, you can take a position in a tree and hit the enemy in the head from a distance of three kilometers. This cannot be repeated with SVD, but in these conditions there are much more important tasks than the destruction of individual enemy fighters.
