An Cosantóir September / October 2026 www.military.ie/magazine
S
niperFest is an international sniper competition
organised annually by the Lithuanian Armed
Forces and is widely recognised as one of NATO's
premier sniper events. This year's competition marked
the sixteenth consecutive running of SniperFest
and, for the first time, the Irish Defence Forces were
represented on the firing line.
Hosted at the Lithuanian Land Forces Training Centre
in Rukla, the competition brought together more than
100 teams from NATO member states, partner nations,
the Lithuanian Armed Forces, police sniper units and
civilian competitors. The event is designed to strengthen
military interoperability, promote the exchange of tactical
knowledge and evaluate the capabilities of sniper teams
in realistic operational scenarios. Beyond identifying the
strongest teams, SniperFest provides a valuable opportunity
to share tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs), compare
training methods and reinforce the professionalism of the
international sniper community.
Representing Ireland was a three-man team consisting of
an NCO from the Ordnance Corps, a Private from the 27th
Infantry Battalion and Team Captain from the Infantry
Weapons Wing (IWW). Representing the Defence Forces
on the international stage is always an honour, particularly
knowing we would become the first Irish team to compete at
SniperFest.
Preparation began several months before the competition.
Training focused on every aspect of sniper capability,
including observation, target detection, judging distance,
precision marksmanship, communication and sniper
dialogue. While individual skill is essential, competitions
such as SniperFest place an even greater emphasis on
teamwork, communication and the ability to make sound
decisions under pressure. Every training serial was designed
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SNIPERFEST SNIPERFEST
LIT LITHUA HUANIA NIA - 2026 - 2026
ARTICLE BY SGT HEALY
