A cloak of invisibility: How a ghillie suit helps the sniper blend in and go unseen
The ghillie suit is an important part of a British Army sniper's personal equipment.
A sniper's role is to see, but not be seen. The suit is an item of clothing that aids the soldier's camouflage, helping him or her blend into their surroundings.
Forces News spoke to one sniper serving with the Royal Anglian Regiment.
He said: "I've got two ghillie suits here. I use one throughout the winter and I use one throughout the summer. The winter one's a lot heavier and I'll fill that with a lot of darker material.
"It can also be turned inside out, so for things like gorse bushes and darker bushes, it can create a darker shadow within that and keep me concealed.
"The summer one's a lot lighter, it's lighter to carry for kit so in hot conditions it's easier for me to use and also when the sun's beaming down on it, it will be able to match in with the patterns around me.
"It takes a lot of time to make ghillies, so it will take guys up to a week, two weeks to make them."
Each ghillie suit is unique, custom-made by each sniper.
Another sniper added: "Guys do loads of different things, there's stuff you can buy off the internet now that’s synthetic and works really well.
"There's a lot of pride in it – you don't really let anyone else wear your ghillie."
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