Posted on 06/21/2017 11:01:30 PM PDT by TigerClaws
A sniper with Canada's elite special forces in Iraq has shattered the world record for the longest confirmed kill shot in military history at a staggering distance of 3,450 metres.
Sources say a member of Joint Task Force 2 killed an Islamic State insurgent with a McMillan TAC-50 sniper rifle while firing from a high-rise during an operation that took place within the last month in Iraq. It took under 10 seconds to hit the target.
"The shot in question actually disrupted a Daesh [Islamic State] attack on Iraqi security forces," said a military source, who stressed the operation fell within the strictures of the government's advise and assist mission. "Instead of dropping a bomb that could potentially kill civilians in the area, it is a very precise application of force and because it was so far way, the bad guys didn't have a clue what was happening."
The kill was independently verified by video camera and other data, The Globe and Mail has learned.
"Hard data on this. It isn't an opinion. It isn't an approximation. There is a second location with eyes on with all the right equipment to capture exactly what the shot was," another military source said.
A military insider told The Globe: "This is an incredible feat. It is a world record that might never be equalled."
The world record was previously held by British sniper Craig Harrison, who shot a Taliban gunner with a 338 Lapua Magnum rifle from 2,475 metres away in 2009.
Previously, Canadian Corporal Rob Furlong had set the world record in 2002 at 2,430 metres when he gunned down an Afghan insurgent carrying an RPK machine gun during Operation Anaconda.
Weeks before, Canadian Master Cpl. Arron Perry briefly held the world's best sniper record after he fatally shot an insurgent at 2,310 metres during the same operation. Both soldiers were members of the 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.
JTF2 special forces are primarily tasked with counterterrorism, sniper operations and hostage rescue. Much of the information about this elite organization is classified and not commented on by the government. The unit's snipers and members of Canadian Special Operations Regiment, who are carrying out the main task of training Kurdish forces, have been operating in tough conditions in Iraq.
The Trudeau government pulled CF-18 fighter jets out of Iraq in 2016 but expanded the military mission, which will see the number of Canadian special forces trainers climb to 207 from 69 in an assist, train and advise mission. Canadian commandos are not supposed to be involved in direct combat, but are authorized to go up to the front lines on training missions with Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and to paint targets for coalition air strikes.
For operational security reasons, sources would not reveal the names of the elite Canadian sniper and his partner, nor the location where the action took place.
A sniper and his observer partner are often sent to remote and dangerous locations to hunt down insurgents while having to carry heavy equipment. Once they have located the target, snipers follow the same methodical approach before each shot. Breathe in, out, in, out, find a natural pause and then squeeze the trigger.
Canada has a reputation among Western military forces for the quality of its snipers, despite the small size of the Canadian Armed Forces compared to the United States and Britain.
"Canada has a world-class sniper system. It is not just a sniper. They work in pairs. There is an observer," a military source said. "This is a skill set that only a very few people have."
The skill of the JTF2 sniper in taking down an insurgent at 3,450 metres required math skills, great eyesight, precision of ammunition and firearms, and superb training.
"It is at the distance where you have to account not just for the ballistics of the round, which change over time and distance, you have to adjust for wind, and the wind would be swirling," said a source with expertise in training Canadian special forces.
"You have to adjust for him firing from a higher location downward and as the round drops you have to account for that. And from that distance you actually have to account for the curvature of the Earth."
U.S. Sergeant Bryan Kremer has the longest confirmed sniper kill shot by a U.S. soldier. He killed an Iraqi insurgent with his Barrett M82A1 rifle at 2,300 metres in 2004.
10 seconds bullet travel, is a loooong shot. They must have special transonic bullets like pioneered on the 416 Cheytac
I think the US kill with the M82 mystifies me more because the semiauto Barret is really an area weapon and not at all sniper capable like the Tac50
Exactly.
Those scopes had the mounts adjusting the aim, which I hear has its advantages in robust tracking, but sheesh, by today’s equipment, it is primitive as heck
My cheap bullet software does not go beyond 1000 yards but with low BC it seems to indicate that the bullet would go subsonic not much further than 1000 yards. Since going transonic most bullets go unstable, they had to use a combination of Ultra Low Drag and transonic stable bullets like used on 416 Cheytac. I am seriously curious what bullet they used and who makes them
All in all probably a merciful way to go for the terrorist. Literally just went to sleep.
I thank him for his service to our country.
Makes me wonder if the new trajectory changing bullets are being used in the military.
More like crack, tick tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, splat, cool!
Rabbits aren’t safe even when they’re just minding their own business:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WypbzC6mi8
“our guys who do this are outstanding and deserve our total respect, Americans, Canadians, Brits and Aussies.”
Copy that. [literally...LOL]
https://loadoutroom.com/7356/the-carlos-hathcock-sniper-rifle/
The Carlos Hathcock Method of Sighting in a Rifle.
A good read.
A little more about who Carlos Hathcock was.From MGySgt USMC (ret) Gus Fisher
That could be, because even with a pure subsonic bullet, it is difficult to group beyond 200 yards with howitzer like trajectories. I simply do not understand how this guy could go subsonic through the transonic disturbance and then even further 500 yards or more and hit.
Nice stuff
Well, looks like we’ve finally found a use for muslims. Long distance target practice.
3,450 meters = 11,318.9 feet = 2.1437 miles.
5,280 feet is a mile.
Thank you
Jim Land and Gunny Hathcock. Legends. True heroes. Getting the job done. Prayers for all who serve[d].
Close groups are probable with an expert marksman and crispy gear up to about 800 yards.
Beyond that up to about 1,600 yards, wind, thermal uplift, and optical distortion make kill shots possible but not probable.
Beyond 1,600 yards, a planned kill shot is not possible, good intuitive guesswork and luck is needed along with extreme skill and body control.
Think about it, from the time the shooter fired, the target would have to stand motionless for 10 seconds.... The wind would have to stay the same along a 2 mile path for 10 seconds. There would have to be trees or bushes along that path that could be studied by the spotter.
At extreme range, any insult to the flight path causes many inches of error. Experienced marksmen know their limitations. Call in arty or air support.
My congratulations to the shooter though, nice work.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.