How Norway Beat Every NATO Sniper Team in 2025

Snipers occupy a strange middle ground in modern warfare. They are part mathematician, part scout, part ghost. Their job is more than just firing a weapon. It’s reading the wind like a language, tracking movement like a hunter, and staying invisible even in plain sight. The level of control they need is so refined that many snipers learn to slow their breathing and even time their shots between heartbeats.

And here’s a fun detail. The word “sniper” originated with 18th-century British soldiers in India who hunted the tiny, unpredictable snipe birds. Only the most skilled shooters could hit one, so they were called “snipers.” The name stuck, and the skill set only grew more demanding over time.

Today’s military snipers use advanced optics, ballistic calculators, and long-range rifles, but the fundamentals haven’t changed. Accuracy matters, yes, but fieldcraft matters more. A sniper team (usually a sniper and a spotter) must master camouflage, terrain reading, stealthy movement, and patience that sometimes stretches for hours or even days. You could also say that sniping is 90% waiting and 10% not missing.

The 2025 European Best Sniper Team Competition put all of that to the test. Over six grueling days, 34 teams from 22 NATO and partner nations faced unknown-distance ranges, blind-shooting challenges, night stalking, intense stress drills, and long movements designed to push even elite shooters to their limits. When it was over, Norway claimed the top spot, followed by Latvia and Greece, proving that precision shooting under pressure is as much about grit, communication, and endurance as it is about a steady barrel.

If you want a quick glimpse into what makes a world-class sniper team, watch the short video. It’s a snapshot of modern sniping, where patience is a weapon, stealth is a skill, and every shot truly counts.