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A designated marksman (DM), squad advanced marksman (AD) or squad designated marksman (SDM) is a military
marksman A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision shooting using projectile weapons (in modern days most commonly an accurized scoped long gun such as designated marksman rifle or a sniper rifle) to shoot at high-value targets at longer-than- ...
role in an
infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...
squad In military terminology, a squad is among the smallest of military organizations and is led by a non-commissioned officer. NATO and US doctrine define a squad as an organization "larger than a team, but smaller than a section." while US Army d ...
. The term ''
sniper A sniper is a military/paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with high-precision r ...
'' was used in
Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
doctrine Doctrine (from la, doctrina, meaning "teaching, instruction") is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the essence of teachings in a given branch of knowledge or in a belief syste ...
although the soldiers using the Dragunov SVD were the first to use a specifically designed
designated marksman rifle A designated marksman rifle (DMR) is a modern scoped high- precision rifle used by infantrymen in the designated marksman (DM) role. It generally fills the engagement range gap between a service rifle and a dedicated sniper rifle, at aroun ...
. The analogous role in the
Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...
is ''
sharpshooter A sharpshooter is one who is highly proficient at firing firearms or other projectile weapons accurately. Military units composed of sharpshooters were important factors in 19th-century combat. Along with " marksman" and "expert", "sharpshooter" ...
''. The DM's role is to supplement the attached squad by providing accurate fire upon enemy targets at distances up to . Due to the need for repeated effective fire, the DM is usually equipped with a
scope Scope or scopes may refer to: People with the surname * Jamie Scope (born 1986), English footballer * John T. Scopes (1900–1970), central figure in the Scopes Trial regarding the teaching of evolution Arts, media, and entertainment * Cinema ...
d
semi-automatic rifle A semi-automatic rifle is an autoloading rifle that fires a single cartridge with each pull of the trigger, and uses part of the fired cartridge's energy to eject the case and load another cartridge into the chamber. For comparison, a bolt ...
called a
designated marksman rifle A designated marksman rifle (DMR) is a modern scoped high- precision rifle used by infantrymen in the designated marksman (DM) role. It generally fills the engagement range gap between a service rifle and a dedicated sniper rifle, at aroun ...
(DMR). Like
sniper A sniper is a military/paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with high-precision r ...
s, DMs are trained in
scouting Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth Social movement, movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hik ...
and precise shooting, but unlike the more specialized "true" sniper (who often operate independently), they operate as an intrinsic part of an
infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...
fireteam A fireteam or fire team is a small military sub-subunit of infantry designed to optimize " bounding overwatch" and " fire and movement" tactical doctrine in combat. Depending on mission requirements, a typical fireteam consists of four or f ...
and are tasked to lay down accurate support fire at valuable targets as per tactical necessity, thus extending the reach of the
fireteam A fireteam or fire team is a small military sub-subunit of infantry designed to optimize " bounding overwatch" and " fire and movement" tactical doctrine in combat. Depending on mission requirements, a typical fireteam consists of four or f ...
. The growth of the DM rifle can be attributed to two main influences; the near-universal adoption of
intermediate cartridge An intermediate cartridge is a rifle/ carbine cartridge that has significantly greater power than a pistol cartridge but still has a reduced muzzle energy compared to fully powered cartridges (such as the .303 British, 7.62×54mmR, 7.92×57 ...
s, such as 5.56×45mm, 5.45×39mm, and 7.62×39mm for standard service rifles, which limit the typical effective range of a standard infantryman to within ; and the increasing specialization over the last 15 years (mid-2000s to late 2010s) of Western sniper rifles and their employment of more powerful rounds, such as
.300 Winchester Magnum The .300 Winchester Magnum (also known as .300 Win Mag or .300 WM) (7.62×67mmB, 7.62x66BR) is a belted, bottlenecked magnum rifle cartridge that was introduced by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1963. The .300 Winchester Magnum is a m ...
and
.338 Lapua Magnum The .338 Lapua Magnum (8.6×70 mm or 8.58×70 mm) is a rimless, bottlenecked, centerfire rifle cartridge. It was developed during the 1980s as a high-powered, long-range cartridge for military snipers. It was used in the War in Afghanistan and ...
, which are more suitable for targets beyond . These two influences have left a gap in the firepower of the rifle
platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may rang ...
that a more accurate optic-equipped
service rifle A service rifle (or standard-issue rifle) is a rifle a military issues to regular infantry. In modern militaries, this is typically a versatile and rugged battle rifle, assault rifle, or carbine suitable for use in nearly all environments. M ...
derivative can usefully fulfill, especially in theaters such as
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...
where the shortcomings of standard 5.56mm service rifles at ranges over 300 meters became apparent.


DM/sniper differences

The DM role differs significantly from that of a specially trained
sniper A sniper is a military/paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with high-precision r ...
. A sniper is a specialist highly trained in fieldcraft, who carries out a range of
ISTAR ISTAR stands for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance. In its macroscopic sense, ISTAR is a practice that links several battlefield functions together to assist a combat force in employing its sensors and managing ...
-specific missions independent of others, and more specialized than standard infantry tasks. In contrast, a DM is a soldier who has received additional marksmanship training. Within a
fireteam A fireteam or fire team is a small military sub-subunit of infantry designed to optimize " bounding overwatch" and " fire and movement" tactical doctrine in combat. Depending on mission requirements, a typical fireteam consists of four or f ...
, the DM's role is to provide an additional capability to the infantry platoon, which is the ability to engage targets at greater ranges than the other members of the squad or section. The DM operates as an integral member of the infantry platoon, providing a niche capability contributing to the overall firepower of the platoon in the same way as a
grenadier A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word ''grenade'') was originally a specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in battle. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when grenadiers were recruited from ...
with a rifle-mounted grenade launcher, allowing the team to engage more numerous targets and vehicles; or the automatic rifleman who employs the squad/section machine gun to lay down suppressing fire for
area denial An area denial weapon is a defensive device used to prevent an adversary from occupying or traversing an area of land, sea or air. The specific method used does not have to be totally effective in preventing passage (and sometimes is not) as lon ...
to the enemy. The DM weapon provides a capability to the infantry platoon in the shape of increased precision at a greater range than that provided by the standard infantry rifle, by virtue of its sighting system and/or larger caliber. By comparison, the sniper role is much more specialized, with very comprehensive selection, training and equipment. Snipers are ordinarily equipped with specialized, purpose-built
bolt-action Bolt-action is a type of manual firearm action that is operated by ''directly'' manipulating the bolt via a bolt handle, which is most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the weapon (as most users are right-handed). Most bolt-actio ...
or semi-automatic
sniper rifle A sniper rifle is a high-precision, long-range rifle. Requirements include accuracy, reliability, mobility, concealment and optics for anti-personnel, anti-materiel and surveillance uses of the military sniper. The modern sniper rifle is a port ...
s or
anti-materiel rifle An anti-materiel rifle (AMR) is a rifle designed for use against military equipment, structures, and other hardware ( materiel). Anti-materiel rifles are chambered in significantly larger calibers than conventional rifles and are employed to elim ...
s; while DMs are often equipped with accurized
battle rifle A battle rifle is a service rifle chambered to fire a fully powered cartridge. The term "battle rifle" is a retronym created largely out of a need to better differentiate the intermediate-powered assault rifles (e.g. the StG-44, AK-47, M16, ...
s or assault rifles fitted with optical sights and heavy barrels. Snipers are mainly employed for targets at ranges from up to more than . In the UK, US, and other Western countries over the last 15 years, sniper rifles chambered for standard military calibers, such as 7.62×51mm, have been replaced with those that employ larger, more specialized rounds, such as .300 Winchester Magnum or .338 Lapua Magnum, which give better accuracy at longer ranges than the standard military rifle calibers. An example of this is the British Army's replacement of the Accuracy International L96A1 in 7.62×51mm with the similar but larger and more powerful Accuracy International L115A3 rifle chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum. DMs are utilized for targets at ranges between approximately using a rifle chambered with standard-issue rifle ammunition, usually either 5.56×45mm or 7.62×51mm. While snipers often take a fixed strategic position and
camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...
themselves (e.g. with a
Ghillie suit A ghillie suit is a type of camouflage clothing designed to resemble the background environment such as foliage, snow or sand. Typically, it is a net or cloth garment covered in loose strips of burlap ( hessian), cloth, or twine, sometimes made t ...
), a DM will tactically move with his unit and is otherwise equipped in the same way as other members of the infantry platoon.


Equipment


Rifles

The designated marksman is intended to fill the gap between the typical infantry rifle and longer-range sniper rifles. The typical service rifle is intended for use at ranges up to a maximum of 300 meters, while sniper rifles are generally optimized for ranges of 600 meters and greater. Designated marksman rifles are designed to fill this gap, typically being employed at ranges of . In some cases, the designated marksman rifle is simply an accurized version of the standard service rifle, such as the Mk 12 SPR (which is built on an
M16 The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-roun ...
platform), while in other cases the rifle is a larger caliber rifle design, such as the British L129A1 rifle or US DM rifles based on the M14, AR-10, or HK417 rifles. Whether a modified existing service rifle or a specific design, the DM rifle will be chambered for a round already used in the infantry battalion, such as 5.56×45mm or 7.62×51mm, and it will retain semi-automatic firing capability with a magazine capacity of 10, 20, or 30 rounds, depending on the firearm in question.


Sidearm

Designated marksmen will carry whichever
service pistol A service pistol, also known as a personal weapon or an ordnance weapon, is any handgun issued to regular military personnel or law enforcement officers. Typically, service pistols are revolvers or semi-automatic pistols issued to officers, ...
is specified in their unit's TOE for their billet or Military Occupational Specialty (MOS), if one is specified or available at all.


Worldwide use


Australian Army

A typical Australian Army
fireteam A fireteam or fire team is a small military sub-subunit of infantry designed to optimize " bounding overwatch" and " fire and movement" tactical doctrine in combat. Depending on mission requirements, a typical fireteam consists of four or f ...
of four soldiers will include a scout employing an F88S Austeyr (5.56 NATO) fitted with an enhanced optic device, usually either an ACOG or ELCAN C79. Additionally, 7.62 mm marksman rifles (
SR-25 The SR-25 (Stoner Rifle-25) is a designated marksman rifle and semi-automatic sniper rifle designed by Eugene Stoner and manufactured by Knight's Armament Company. The SR-25 uses a rotating bolt and a direct impingement gas system. It is loo ...
s) are employed by the maneuver support teams in the platoon. However, HK417 rifles have been procured by the Army as a substitute for the F88S during operations in Afghanistan and possibly thereafter. The
SASR The Special Air Service Regiment, officially abbreviated SASR though commonly known as the SAS, is a special forces unit of the Australian Army. Formed in 1957, it was modelled on the British SAS sharing the motto, "Who Dares Wins". The reg ...
also uses the Mk 14 EBR amongst its four-man infantry sections.


British Army

Recently, the L86A2 Light Support Weapon was used in the designated marksman role due to its longer barrel compared to the standard
L85A2 The SA80 (Small Arms for the 1980s) is a British family of 5.56×45mm NATO service weapons used by the British Army. The L85 Rifle variant has been the standard issue service rifle of the British Armed Forces since 1987, replacing the L1A1 Se ...
service rifle, which gives an increased range of up to 1000 m (1094 yd) while also capable of giving accurate automatic fire; the automatic fire role is now usually delivered by the Minimi. The
Royal Marines The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious warfare, amphibious light infantry and also one of the :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, five fighti ...
and
United Kingdom Special Forces The United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) is a directorate comprising the Special Air Service, the Special Boat Service, the Special Reconnaissance Regiment, the Special Forces Support Group, 18 (UKSF) Signal Regiment and the Joint Special Forc ...
also use the HK417 rifle in the designated marksman role. On 28 December 2009, the UK Ministry of Defence announced the adoption of the L129A1 Sharpshooter rifle made by Lewis Machine and Tool Company of the US for use as a semi-automatic DM rifle, firing the 7.62×51mm NATO round, providing accurate fire of up to 1000m as an urgent operational requirement (UOR) in Afghanistan.


Indian Army

The
Indian Army The Indian Army is the Land warfare, land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Arm ...
uses a locally manufactured licensed variant of the
SVD Dragunov The SVD (russian: Сна́йперская Винто́вка систе́мы Драгуно́ва образца́ 1963 года, lit=Sniper Rifle, System of Dragunov, Model of the Year 1963, translit=Snáyperskaya Vintóvka sistém'y Dragunóv ...
in the Designated Marksman role. The Dragunov is used in conjunction with the
INSAS INSAS or Indian Small Arms System is a family of infantry arms consisting of an assault rifle and a light machine gun (LMG). It was designed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment and manufactured by the Ordnance Factories Bo ...
family of weapons to give flexibility and striking power, in short to mid range firefights, to Indian Army infantry units engaged with opposing forces.


Israel Defense Forces (IDF)

The
Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...
(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 The M24 Sniper Weapon System (SWS) or M24 is the military and police version of the Remington Model 700 rifle, ''M24'' being the model name assigned by the United States Army after adoption as their standard sniper rifle in 1988. The M24 is refe ...
instead of the M14 rifle. A major change was the introduction of a new battle profession – the ''designated marksman'' (קלע סער, "kala sa'ar" in
Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
) – 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 IMI Tavor TAR-21 (STAR-21), M16A2E3 and M4 carbine.


United States Armed Forces


United States Marine Corps

The U.S. Marines use M14s that have been rebuilt at
Marine Corps Base Quantico Marine Corps Base Quantico (commonly abbreviated MCB Quantico) is a United States Marine Corps installation located near Triangle, Virginia, covering nearly of southern Prince William County, Virginia, northern Stafford County, and southeas ...
and designated as
Designated Marksman Rifle A designated marksman rifle (DMR) is a modern scoped high- precision rifle used by infantrymen in the designated marksman (DM) role. It generally fills the engagement range gap between a service rifle and a dedicated sniper rifle, at aroun ...
s, which are being replaced by
M39 Enhanced Marksman Rifle The M39 Enhanced Marksman Rifle (EMR; formally Rifle, Caliber 7.62 mm, M39 Enhanced Marksman Rifle; NSN 1005-01-553-5196) is a semi-automatic, gas-operated designated marksman rifle chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. It is a modif ...
. The Corps also utilizes two different adaptations of the M16 assault rifle: the Squad Advanced Marksman Rifle (SAM-R), and the Mk 12 Mod 1 SPR. They also utilize the
M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle The M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle (IAR) is a 5.56mm select-fire assault rifle, based on the HK416 by Heckler & Koch. It is used by the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and is intended to be issued to all infantry riflemen as well as automatic ri ...
.


United States Army

The
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...
101st Airborne Division The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute multiple battalion-size air assault operati ...
recognized the need for a Squad Designated Marksman when they encountered fires beyond the 300-600m range. In 2004, they began issuing M14s to specially trained soldiers for Designated Marksman work. The
82nd Airborne Division The 82nd Airborne Division is an airborne infantry division of the United States Army specializing in parachute assault operations into denied areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops Magazine'', 25 November 2012. Archived from tho ...
deployed with designated marksmen, trained on the M-4 using ACOGs with great success out to 600m, some 82nd Airborne units were issued M14s. The 3rd Infantry Division saw limited use of a modified M16, which was accurized in a manner similar to the U.S. Marines SAM-R, unofficially designated the AMU Squad Designated Marksman Rifle (SDM-R). This rifle was designed for engagements up to 1000m. 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, a Sage stock and are designated the M14SE Crazy Horse.


United States Navy

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 SR-25 (Stoner Rifle-25) is a designated marksman rifle and semi-automatic sniper rifle designed by Eugene Stoner and manufactured by Knight's Armament Company. The SR-25 uses a rotating bolt and a direct impingement gas system. It is loo ...
, the MK12 Mod X, the " SEAL Recon Rifle" and in some cases even regular M14 Rifles fitted with optical scopes. The United States Navy
Naval Expeditionary Combat Command Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) serves as the single functional command to centrally manage current and future readiness, resources, manning, training and equipping of the United States Navy's 21,000 expeditionary forces who are curren ...
employ Expeditionary Designated Marksman to support COCOM / DOD tasking as required. Known used weapons are the MK 14 Mod 0 Enhanced Battle Rifle or M4 Rifle with fitted optical scopes. Previously, Designated Marksman assigned to NECC's Helicopter, Visit, Search, and Seizure teams were equipped with the M21 (SWS) w/ Leupold Mk4 LR/T after training with the USMC, US Army, and training organizations to deploy the rifle from various platforms (helicopter, ship, ground).


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 In military terminology, a squad is among the smallest of military organizations and is led by a non-commissioned officer. NATO and US doctrine define a squad as an organization "larger than a team, but smaller than a section." while US Army d ...
") and platoon level to increase the range of their section to . 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 SVD rifle that shares all the characteristics typical of a designated marksman rifle (Semi-automatic fire,
telescopic sight A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope informally, is an optical sighting device based on a refracting telescope. It is equipped with some form of a referencing pattern – known as a '' reticle'' – mounted in a focally appropriate ...
, chambered for standard military rifle
cartridge Cartridge may refer to: Objects * Cartridge (firearms), a type of modern ammunition * ROM cartridge, a removable component in an electronic device * Cartridge (respirator), a type of filter used in respirators Other uses * Cartridge (surname), a ...
).


See also

*
List of books, articles and documentaries about snipers This is a list of books, articles, and documentaries about snipers. Books Non-fiction * * * * Craig Harrison (2015) ''The Longest Kill: The Story of Maverick 41''. . Fiction * Articles * Langewiesche, William.The Distant Executioner. Van ...


References


External links


Field Manual 3–22.9; Rifle Marksmanship
– See Chapter 7, Section VII – ''Squad Designated Marksman Training'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Designated Marksman Infantry Combat occupations Sniper warfare Military snipers Marksmanship hu:Mesterlövész#Raj-mesterlövész