Designated marksman

Common card · No. 346748

A designated marksman (DM), squad advanced marksman (AD) or squad designated marksman (SDM) is a military marksman role in an infantry squad. The term sniper was used in Soviet doctrine although the soldiers using the Dragunov SVD were the first to use a specifically designed designated marksman rifle. The DM's role is to supplement the attached squad by providing accurate fire upon enemy targets at distances up to 600 metres (660 yd). Due to the need for repeated effective fire, the DM is usually equipped with a scoped semi-automatic rifle called a designated marksman rifle (DMR). Like snipers, DMs are trained in scouting and precise shooting, but unlike the more specialized "true" sniper (who often operate independently), they operate as an intrinsic part of an infantry fireteam and are tasked to lay down accurate support fire at valuable targets as per tactical necessity, thus extending the reach of the fireteam. The growth of the DM rifle can be attributed to two main influences;...

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