Hi does anyone know or have a link to the criteria that cadets have to do to get each of the shooting badges as i can’t seem to find it anywhere.
It’s all in here:
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In terms of badges its now not blue to gold for each weapon right. blue is scorpion rifle ,bronze is L144 etc ?
So for example what would cadets need to get their L144 badge ?
The blue to gold is for the level reached, regardless of weapon. You could get gold on the air rifle, or blue on the L98. To quote the previous thread:
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I think I said at the time that this indicated to me an air-rifle only future. I was accused of talking rubbish at the time, but since then haven’t L144 and L81 both gone?
we are still using L144
so to clarify.
there is 4x different weapons a cadet can use. which are
scorpion
l144
l98
l81A
1.Can a cadet do any WHT on any of these 4 weapons, as in they dont have to have had experience or WHT on L144 before L81A as an example? I mean is it a requirement?
2.There is 4x types of badges
blue-trained shot
bronze-marksman
silver-advanced marksman
gold-competition
3. Does a cadet have to do blue to gold for every weapon?
4.For example if you have cadets who have never shot before or had experience then they have then done their WHT on the L144 then the live firing they do once completed the grouping does that give them the bluebadge?
5.Does this mean for example cadet
could do the following
blue badge on L98
bronze badge on L144
silver badge on L81A
gold badge on scorpion rifle.
Meaning they do 1 badge of each only but they can do it on any weapon in any order.
Yes, but there was talk in the National Townhalls thread of them being discontinued after L81 is retired in 2026. I know that’s over a year away, but I’m getting in early with my ‘I told you so’.
Changing the rules so that cadets can get the top marksmanship badge on an air rifle is a combat indicator that air rifles is all that they will be able to shoot. Losing L81 is the first step, when L85 is retired and there is no cadet equivalent for its replacement will be the last.
So are we just going to be left with the scorpion rifle and the L98 do you think that will stop. Surely doesnt make sense removing all the L144s and not replacing it with anything especially after all the issues with replacing parts they went through in the beginning.
I remember the old days of shooting the no.8 rifle.
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I’ve thought it ever since they changed the badges. Since then, others have started speculating about the L144 going once the L81 does. I agree it makes no sense and remember routinely firing No. 8s on normal drill nights.
Sounds like cadet live firing is being phased out. I reckon PCs and laptops will be the workhorses for many more cadet activities.
If there is a way to deploy a ‘mini DCCT’ set up (maybe like the photo above) at unit level it could actually be a benefit for marksmanship training.
It would need to be centrally funded and procured though, unlike the flight sims.
There’s quite a few at museums now, and they’re fairly realistic.
Here’s a link to one in Bury, no photos unfortunately but if any ACCers are in the
Manchester area they could do a recce?
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It’s called a SCATT & been available for a while.
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I’ve seen a more basic system - basically a little box with some electronics in it that fits on standard rail on say an L85. Might have had a red dot on it too. Read outs on an iPad. Dial in the ‘real’ and ‘virtual’ range so you could set up a 100m CLF in a 5m space.
Yes, each weapon system is independent and you be a direct entrant into training on any weapons system. This did not use to be the case, but changed a number of years ago, alongside any age limitations, mainly due to availability of opportunity. The key limitation is is the cadet both sufficiently mature mentally & physically. The physicality of the L98 is often under estimated, especially for initial training, where they are cocking the rifle a lot more than would on a live fire day.
Selection for IWT has become more challenging here since Cadet portal, as there is no required Sqn Filter, unless the organiser adds it in.
Yes, the shooting syllabus on each weapon system is independently progressive, so before you can be a Marksman on the L98 you must first achieve Trained Shot on the L98, you can’t carry it forward as prior learning from the Air Rifle.
This is a cost issue, the L144 programme has funds that have previously been spent (Sunk Cost) however the uptake is low, mainly due to the increased restrictions on storage such as alarms, which has incurred additional costs. I understand the ACF have already stopped using the L144 and consequently there is no army led replacement weapon system, and the RAFAC doesn’t have the budget for this level of capital expenditure. Since the L144 was introduced in 2016 there has been a large uplift in Air Rifle and that capacity is now stronger than it was and more accessible with it possible in a lot of drill halls rather than requiring dedicated ranges.
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