Name Craig Harrison Rank Corporal of horse | Allegiance United Kingdom Role Sniper | |
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Battles/wars Afghanistan WarIraq War Books The Longest Kill: The Story of Maverick 41, One of the World's Greatest Snipers Born November 1974 (age 46) Cheltenham, Gloucestershire | ||
Craig Harrison (born November 1974) is a former Corporal of Horse (CoH) in the Blues and Royals, a cavalry regiment of the British Army, who held the previous record for the longest confirmed sniper kill in combat, at a range of 2,475 m (2,707 yd). Craig Harrison is most famous for his military service in Afghanistan as a sniper but he also served in the British army in Iraq and the Balkans.
Contents
- Shot show 2016 accuracy international and craig harrison
- Discovering sniping
- Record details
- Private life
- References
Shot show 2016 accuracy international and craig harrison
Discovering sniping
The first time Harrison used a sniper rifle was when firing a Dragunov sniper rifle (SVD) on a firing range near a British military base in Split, Croatia. In his autobiography The Longest Kill, Harrison described rifle SVD as looking like "an elongated AK" and after firing at a tree he says it "practically split the tree in half".
Record details
In November 2009, Harrison consecutively struck two Taliban machine gunners south of Musa Qala in Helmand Province in Afghanistan at a range of 2,475 m (2,707 yd) using a L115A3 Long Range Rifle. In a BBC interview, Harrison reported it took about nine shots for him and his spotter to range the target. Then, he reported, his first shot "on target" was a killing shot followed consecutively by a kill shot on a second machine gunner. The bodies were later found by Afghan National Police looking to retrieve the weapon (which had already been removed). The first Taliban was shot in the gut and the other through the side. Later in the day an Apache helicopter hovered over the firing position, using its laser range finder to measure the distance to the machine-gun position, confirming it was the longest kill in history.
In the reports, Harrison mentions the environmental conditions were perfect for long range shooting: no wind, mild weather and clear visibility.
Private life
Harrison's father and mother were dog handlers in the Royal Air Force Police (RAFP). They separated when he was very young. Harrison was the younger of two boys. He joined the Household Cavalry at 16, and later served in the Blues and Royals. He is married to Tanya and has a daughter.
After returning from Afghanistan in 2009 he developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and was discharged from the army in 2014. He has stated since that:
The Ministry of Defence paid Harrison £100,000 in compensation for revealing his identity which put him at risk of kidnapping by Al-Qaeda supporters. The blunder led to Harrison being placed on permanent sick leave and then discharged.
Harrison has written The Longest Kill, about his life and career as a sniper.