Sniping is a long-range shooting technique. This involves weapons that can fire long-range and deal a lot of damage. Many defence aspirants dream about being enrolled in the Indian Army as snipers. Joining the Indian Army as a sniper in the sniper team is not by any means a joke. It isn’t considered easy at all. It requires unique talent. If an aspirant wants to become a sniper, three skills are very important, and the candidate has to keep those in mind. The three skills are:
1) Knowledge of land reconnaissance: The other word is also known as scouting. The soldier’s knowledge of spying on land with the enemies in that region and having observations regarding unknown features.
2) Knowledge of camouflage: the skill to blend in with the surroundings and stay protected. Also being hidden so the enemies cannot spot the whereabouts while the soldier is keeping an eye on the foe.
3) Knowledge of Observation: The candidate should be very observant at all times. The soldier possesses activeness and a sharp sight to target the enemy.
How to join the Indian Army Sniper Team:
The eligibility criteria include the following: First things first, there is no direct recruitment in the Indian Army’s Sniper Team. The candidate has to follow the procedure, the candidate has to join the Indian Army first. The candidate can join the Indian army either as a soldier or an officer. There are seven different ways to join the Indian Army.
In the Indian Army Sniper Team, there are mostly soldiers from the Infantry Division. If an aspirant wants to join the Sniper team, they first have to join the Infantry Division of the Army. Later, the candidates who join the Infantry Division, are sent to the Infantry School, MHOW, for further training under the Army Marksmanship Unit. During this training, the candidates who have performed extra-ordinarily and whose aims are excellent are the ones who are selected as the snipers in the team. These candidates are given advanced training for better performance.
Another major requirement is eyesight. The candidate needs to have amazing eyesight to join the sniper team. This is because the snipers need to be very sharp and are mostly in the exterior circle of the ambush. A sniper is a military / paramilitary marker who tackles targets from hidden places or at distances beyond the tracking capabilities of the target.
The eye vision of the candidate should be either 20/20 or correctable to 20/20.The candidate should not be having any difficulty in seeing or shouldn’t have color blindness or any such difficulties.
They will be tested beforehand for it. Along with having excellent eyesight, the candidate should also be physically and mentally fit. The candidate should be active at all times and extremely sharp.
A sniper requires a lot of focus, concentration, and tolerance because they have to be stationed in the same position for a really long time.
The sniper’s best mate is the rifle the soldier has. The sniper should be well aware of his rifle and have complete knowledge of it, along with knowing how to operate it in an expert way, to become a perfect sniper. Only those candidates who have these skills and knowledge are given training under the Army Marksmanship Unit and then recruited as snipers in the Indian Army. Each Indian army’s infantry battalion has 8–10 snipers. Each battalion is authorized 10 sniper rifles. Thus, the Indian Army has around 4720 sniper rifles. There is no military trade of “sniper,” but any soldier with limited training can use sniper rifles.
Generally, two snipers are trained in each of the four rifle companies, and two are part of the Ghatak Platoon. These sniper rifles include around 10 different snipers. The snipers in the Indian Army are given Steyr SSG 69, Mauser SP66, SIG Sauer SSG 3000, Dragunov SVD, and many more. Thus, working with long-range weapons like this makes it far more difficult for the soldiers. Snipers play a vital role in the Indian Army.
The path of the Indian Army Sniper is arduous, demanding unwavering dedication and a unique blend of skills. It’s a journey for the select few, those who possess the physical prowess, mental fortitude, and unwavering focus to become the silent guardians of the battlefield. For those who dream of joining this elite group, remember, the road is long, but the rewards are immeasurable – the chance to serve your nation with unmatched precision and lethality.
Jai hind
Very informative