Ghillie camo suits

[PoorOldSpike]

Ghillie Suit Accessory Kit (GSAK)
(The word 'ghillie' is borrowed from Scottish deer stalkers)

"The Ghillie Suit Accessory Kit (GSAK) provides Special Operations Forces Long Range Surveillance Units, and U.S. Marine Corps and Army snipers with various camouflage material components to construct, repair and modify Ghillie Suits that meet unique mission and climatic requirements. Soldiers will custom make each suit to their own specific design and performance requirements."

More - http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/gsak.htm

[Copper]

Im glad the snipers in CM arent as well camouflaged. I'd never find my own snipers on the map.

[RedDevil]

I think snipers should be trained to carry more than 10 stinking rounds.. everyone knows a new target ALWAYS shows up after you thought you got them all..

[Copper]

LOL... that is too true. But they are quite accurate and to have more than 10 rounds would make them a bit of a behemoth on the battlefield.

[Copper]

Sidenote,

These suits are on the list of forbidden equipment in the Geneva Confention.
Soldiers wearing such a suite are not recognizable as combattants.

[Copper]

Right.....

I didnt know that but having a look at the Geneva Convention I see it now.

The exact definition of "lawful combatant" has been subject to a number of discussions in view of a number of public military conflicts in the 2000s, including the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Because many of the people fighting do not have uniforms it is claimed that they do not display a "fixed distinctive sign recognisable at a distance" are not entitled to the protections of the Geneva Convention as they are not "lawful combatants" (see unlawful combatant). Problems with such distinctions include the status of snipers and special forces, who wear clothing such as Ghillie suits which are specifically intended to prevent identification of them at a distance and who seek to avoid being visible until the time of their attack.

[Combat Wombat]

it depends what you mean by 'at a distance' . most uniforms are cammo that limit you being spotted 'at a distance'. We cam up faces, hands and weapons but do carry identity at all times. (The Aussie uniforms (baked bean design) has items of identity that really can't be seen until you are standing face to face - especially rank flashes - black marks on the chest slide). we use camoflage in ambushes and when advancing towards enemy positions. special forces just take more care and use more skill than the average grunt.. (anyhoo, SF are always easy to spot- just look for the gigantic wrist watchs moving through the scrub!)

same deal with snipers, they hide under camoflage -natural or man made, in uniform and have identifying badges - observable at a distance ( a metre or so? ) and so comply with convention.

[PoorOldSpike]

Incidentally I should imagine snipers have a rougher time of it nowadays if the enemy has infra-red spotting devices, because his body heat would be picked up fairly easily even if he's wearing a camo suit.
His face in particular would show up as a hot dot on infra-red making him easy to spot by night and day.
The devices are so tiny they could be fitted to the rifle of every soldier in an army..



INFRA-RED DEVICES-
http://www.ir55.com/specterIR_thermal_weapon_scope.html

[Copper]

Or they could do an Arnie in the predator film and cover themselves in cold sloppy mud.. LOL

[Kelen]

Incidentally I should imagine snipers have a rougher time of it nowadays if the enemy has infra-red spotting devices, because his body heat would be picked up fairly easily even if he's wearing a camo suit.
His face in particular would show up as a hot dot on infra-red making him easy to spot by night and day.
The devices are so tiny they could be fitted to the rifle of every soldier in an army..

True, but not really a real issue for them currently.

Firstly, the sniper, unless caught moving in the open would normally prone, and would probably also be behind some form of natural cover, fold in the ground, tree, etc. As such the would still present only a very small signature through a scope of someone on the same or lower level than them.

Secondly, currently only a very small percentage of troops are equipped with them as not only would it cost an awful lot to equip all your forces, they all require a power supply which will have a limited active life. Last thing you're going to want is to be on patrol for hours, come under fire, and then find your batteries have run down!

And thirdly, as your picture all too accurately shows, if you are using a IR sight, you lose so much other visual input, and clarity. (Is that guy one of ours, or theirs, can't tell!)