The Designated Marksman (DM) is a military marksman role in a U.S. infantry squad. The term sniper is used in Soviet and Russian doctrine. The analogous role in the Israeli army is "squad sniper."
The DM's role is to supply rapid accurate fire on enemy targets at ranges up to 800 metres (870 yd) with a highly-accurate semi-automatic rifle equipped with a telescopic sight. Like snipers, DM's are trained in quick and precise shooting, but unlike the more specialised "true" sniper, they are also intended to lay down accurate rapid fire.
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DM / sniper differences
The DM role differs significantly from that of a specially trained sniper. While a sniper will generally work individually, as part of a two-man scout-sniper team or small sniper team, a DM is often one of a unit of soldiers who has received some extra marksmanship training. DM's generally assume the role temporarily as required by different combat scenarios; moving from a general infantry role to a marksmanship role as the need arises and back again. By comparison, a sniper will generally only ever operate as a such unless forced to conduct him or herself in an alternate manner under exceptional circumstances.
Designated marksmen are integral members of regular infantry squads or platoons, much like machine-gunners or grenadiers.
Snipers are ordinarily equipped with purpose-built bolt-action or semi-automatic sniper rifles while DMs are most often equipped with accurized battle rifles or assault rifles. They will often carry a modified version of the weapon others in their unit are carrying while a sniper is assigned purpose-built equipment which may make him effective at range but cumbersome in close-fire combat situations.
Snipers are mainly employed for targets at ranges of up to 1,400 metres (1,530 yd) or more using rifles with larger ammunition while DMs are utilized for targets at ranges of up to 800 metres (870 yd) using a rifle chambered with standard-issue rifle ammunition. In addition, snipers often take a fixed strategic position and camouflage themselves (e.g. with a Ghillie suit) while a DM will generally move with his or her unit and will often not have any more or less camouflage gear than other unit members.
Weapons
The DM role fills the gap between a regular infantryman and a sniper and as such so-called designated marksman rifles (DMRs) have been developed with this middle ground in mind.
These rifles have to be effective, in terms of accuracy and terminal ballistics, at ranges exceeding those of ordinary assault rifles (typically up to 500 metres/550 yards or more) but do not require the extended range of a dedicated sniper rifle (typically up to 1,000 metres/1,100 yards or more).
DMRs, however, often share some basic characteristics with sniper rifles in difference to the weapons carried by others in the DMs unit. DMRs may have an attached telescopic sight, quickly-deployed stabilizing bipod to allow accuracy in temporarily fixed situations or an adjustable stock.
They will, though, generally retain semi-automatic firing capability (more rapid than bolt-action sniper rifles) and a larger magazine capacity of 10, 20, or 30 rounds depending on the firearm in question.
Battle rifle adaptation
In this context, "battle rifles" refer to automatic rifles of 7.62 x 51 mm caliber such as the M14, FN FAL, HK417 or Heckler & Koch G3. These were replaced during the 1960s and 1970s by assault rifles using the less-powerful (but more controllable in full-automatic fire) 5.56 x 45 mm NATO cartridge such as the M16 and SA80.
These battle rifles are more suitable for adaptation to DM rifles than assault rifles for the sole reason of their more powerful cartridge.
Examples of battle rifle adaptations include:
- United States Army M21 adaptation of M14
- United States Marine Corps Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) adaptation of M14
- United States Navy SEALS M14 Mod 0 Enhanced Battle Rifle
- G3SG/1 variant of Heckler & Koch G3
Assault rifle adaptation
This is an easier and less-expensive option for many armies, because existing assault rifles can be adapted, often by merely adding a telescopic sight. These modified rifles retain the original chambering in the relatively less-powerful assault rifle cartridges, ensuring ammunition commonality within the squad.
Examples of assault rifle adaptations using the 5.56 x 45 mm NATO cartridge include:
- United States Army Squad Designated Marksman Rifle (SDM-R) adaptation of the M16
- U.S. Marine Corps Squad Advanced Marksman Rifle (SAM-R) adaptation of the M16
- M16A2E3 variant of M16.
- United States Navy Mark 12 Mod X Special Purpose Rifle heavily-modified M16.
- Marine Scout Sniper Rifle Modified M16 in use by the Philippine Marine Scout Snipers.
- British Army L86A2 LSW - after the introduction of the FN Minimi as a section LMG it is now used as a DMR. It required no modification as the longer, heavier, free-floating barrel and existing optical sight give it the required accuracy.
- Steyr AUG HBAR-T - a longer, heavier-barreled version of the AUG.
- Canadian Forces C7CT and C8CT DM variants - modified Colt Canada C7A1/C8A1 series rifles and considered interim systems.
Examples of assault rifle adaptations using the 7.62 x 39 mm cartridge:
- Tabuk Sniper Rifle adaptation of the RPK
Other variants
A more effective (but more expensive) solution is to modify an assault rifle to use a more powerful cartridge with a heavier barrel and other components.
Examples of rechambered assault rifle adaptations include:
Purpose-built rifles
There are a small number of rifles which have been specifically manufactured with the DM role in mind. While not differing significantly from ordinary battle rifles or assault rifles, these weapons allow for greater flexibility without the hindrance of components designed for non-DM action.
Rifles manufactured in this manner include:
- The SVD is one example of a rifle designed from the outset to meet the requirement now known as "designated marksman rifle".
- The Dragunov SVU, a bullpup variant of the SVD.
- The Romanian PSL is a designated marksman rifle based on a modified Kalashnikov action. It is similar in appearance to the Dragunov.
- The Heckler & Koch HK417 rifle in the 508 mm (20.0 in) long barreled "sniper variant" is intended for designated marksman purposes.
- The Chinese QBU-88 is a designated marksman rifle intended for aimed semi-automatic fire at ranges beyond the capabilities of standard infantry assault rifles.
- The Yugoslavian Zastava M76 is a designated marksman rifle based on a modified Kalashnikov action. It is similar in appearance to the Dragunov and is designed for the 7.92 x 57 IS (8mm Mauser) chambering. It has also been chambered in 7.62×51 NATO and 7.62 × 54R for export.
- The Serbian Zastava M91 is a designated marksman rifle based on a modified Kalashnikov action. It is similar in appearance to the Dragunov and is chambered in 7.62 × 54R.
Worldwide use
British Army
Recently, the role of the Light Support Weapon has been used in the Designated Marksman role due to its increased range of up to 800m as an individual weapon. While also capable of giving accurate automatic fire, this is usually delivered by the Minimi.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) implemented significant changes to sharpshooting doctrine in the 1990s. Doctrine, training program, and courseware were completely rewritten and snipers were issued the bolt-action M24 SWS instead of the M14 rifle. A major change was the introduction of a new battle profession – the designated marksman (קלע סער, "kala saar" in Hebrew) – intended to improve the accuracy and firepower of an infantry platoon and compromise between the role of a sniper and an assault rifleman. These soldiers were generally called "squad snipers" to describe their role. They are armed with SR-25 rifle and sharpshooter variations of the M16A2E3 and M4 Carbine.
United States Marine Corps
The U.S. Marines uses M14s which are rebuilt at Marine Corps Base Quantico and designated as Designated Marksman Rifles, which are being replaced by M39 Enhanced Marksman Rifle. The Corps also utilizes an adaptation of the M16 assault rifle, the Squad Advanced Marksman Rifle (SAM-R).
United States Army
The U.S. Army uses a modified M16 which is accurized in a manner similar to the SAM-R, designated the United States Army Squad Designated Marksman Rifle (SDM-R).
The U.S. Army DM also uses the predecessor of the M16 rifle, the M14 in certain Infantry line units. These are commonly equipped with Leupold optics.
United States Air Force
The U.S. Air Force uses a standard M4 carbine with an ACOG instead of the standard M68.
The United States Navy SEAL Teams employs SDM rifles in roughly the same manner as the Marine Corps and Army, although there is no specific "Designated Marksman" role in a SEAL platoon. Known used weapons include, but are not limited to, the Mk 14 Mod 0 Enhanced Battle Rifle, M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System, MK11/SR-25, the MK12 Mod X, the much elusive "SEAL Recon Rifle" and in some cases even regular M14 Rifles fitted with optical scopes.
Soviet snipers
Although referred to as "snipers", the Soviet Union and its allies have since World War II employed specially-equipped and trained "sharpshooting" soldiers at a section ("squad") level to increase the range of their section to 800 meters (870 yd). This is commonly accepted as the first example of what came to be known as a designated marksman as opposed to a true sniper.
Since 1963 these soldiers have been equipped with the Dragunov (or "SVD") rifle that shares all the characteristics typical of a designated marksman rifle (Semi-automatic fire, telescopic sight, chambered for standard military rifle cartridge).
See also
- Related military roles
- Soviet sniper, the Soviet equivalent of a Designated Marksman.
- Sniper, more specialized military marksmen.
- Rifles
- Dragunov Sniper Rifle
- M21, the scoped and accurized version of the M14.
- United States Army Squad Designated Marksman Rifle
- U.S. Marine Corps Designated Marksman Rifle
- U.S. Marine Corps Squad Advanced Marksman Rifle
- United States Navy Mark 12 Mod X Special Purpose Rifle
- SR-25, designed by Knight's Armament Company
References
- FM 3-22.9, RIFLE MARKSMANSHIP M16A1,M16A2/3,M16A4 and M4 CARBINE - see Chapter 7, Section VII, "Squad Designated Marksman Training"
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