According to the Belgian website A l’Avant-Garde, the Luxembourgish army tweeted images of its new sniper capabilities on social media in April and September of 2023. This marked the first time they showcased this capability, which had its origins in the conceptualization phase that commenced back in 2020. In August of that year, a public procurement process was initiated to acquire two precision rifles. The initial equipment deliveries occurred in 2021, and the first batch of sniper trainees underwent specialized training in 2022.
Luxembourgish snipers receive their training at the Elsenborn camp in Belgium under the guidance of the Marche-les-Dames Commando Training Center. Following their initial training, they continue to enhance their skills through additional education in various countries, including Switzerland and Austria, in addition to Belgium. These highly trained snipers are slated to provide vital support to other units within the army, including the forthcoming binational medium combat reconnaissance battalion.
Their primary weapon of choice is the HK417, manufactured by Heckler & Koch and designed by the Dutch company Solid Solution Designs. Notably, in one of the published photos, a Luxembourgish sniper can be seen honing their skills with a Belgian FN SCAR-HPR.
At present, the Luxembourgish army boasts two proficient non-commissioned officer snipers, and they have strategic plans to train an additional two snipers in 2024. The ultimate goal of the Luxembourgish army is to achieve an initial operational capability (IOC) by the close of 2024, boasting two fully operational sniper teams.