At the end of January, the units of the 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade (4th RDB) took delivery of brand new CZ BREN 2 PPS rifles, which will replace the 60-year-old Dragunov sniper rifles in their armament. The new weapon was recently trained in use by the brigade's shooters and rifle instructors, who will pass on the experience to their battalions.

All three battalions of the 4th Brigade already have the new rifles, designated PPS. In order for the weapons to be used for regular training, it is necessary to prepare them and to have the optics adjusted. In practice, this means adjusting it to the needs of the individual shooter: to seat the support bipod, to adjust the length of the shoulder rest and, finally, to rectify the optical sight. The first nine rifles and two dozen shooters and shooting instructors from all the battalions of the brigade have been undergoing theoretical and practical training with the new weapon this week.

Picture: Comparison of the SVD Dragunov self-loading sniper rifle with the CZ BREN 2 PPS precision rifle | 7th Mechanized Brigade / Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic 

A specific shooter, a specific setup

The experience of this training will now be passed on by the shooters and instructors to their battalions. "Everyone must prepare their weapon according to their body and especially their eye. Each shooter will adjust his weapon by gradual adjustments and especially by rectifying the optical sight so that he can concentrate on the actual shooting in combat," summarised the two-day training by the instructor of the Combat Training Department of the 4th Armoured Brigade Command, Warrant Officer Petr Čížek.

The rifle is loaded for precision shooting by the units of the 4th Brigade at a distance of 100 metres precisely with a view to maximising the use of the weapon's optical accessories. It is fired on a rectification target, which makes it easier to evaluate the hits and calculate how to better adjust the optics on the weapon. "At least five shots are always fired for each correction. Because of the variations, the mean hit point is calculated, which is like the average of all the hits. Experienced shooters sometimes only need two repairs and fifteen rounds to get the correct setting," said Warrant Officer Čížek.

Picture: Riflemen and shooting instructors trained in the use of the new CZ BREN 2 PPS | Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic

Saving time in training and the benefits of optics

The ergonomics of the CZ BREN 2 PPS are identical to the CZ BREN 2 assault rifle, making it easier for shooters to transition between weapons. In basic training, everyone learns to operate two weapons, a pistol and an assault rifle. It is only after being assigned to a unit that weapons such as a machine gun, grenade launcher or precision rifle come into play. "The unification of the assault rifle platform with the precision rifle will certainly speed up the intuitive operation of the weapon. The time saved by practicing the handling of the weapon will be fully utilized for working with the optics, which is the main advantage of the weapon," said Chief Warrant Officer of the 4th RDB Senior Warrant Officer Michal Baka, who participated in the specification of the demand for this rifle.

The rifle is equipped with a Nightforce ATACR 1 - 8x24 F1 optical sight, which allows similar shooting as with a collimator, where there is no magnification and zooming in on the target and it is possible to observe the battlefield and the target with both eyes. At the same time, however, it provides the ability to use the eightfold magnification at a moment's notice to engage targets at the limit of effective range. The rifle also comes with a night vision device so the shooter is not limited by the time of day. "The ability of 4th Armoured Forces to conduct combat operations at medium ranges is significantly increased. Thanks to the new rifle, the shooter can aim faster and, above all, more accurately," concluded Senior Warrant Officer Baka.