Are snipers and recon still valid in infantry battalions?

[PsJÄÄK Korte]

Sorry this raise this thread.
On snipers:
I once borrowed finnish book "Tarkka-ampuja 1 (Sniper 1, but finnish term for sniper translates literally into "sharpshooter)" by Finnish carreer officer Major Pauli Salo. He is sort of authority in snipercraft here in Finland.
He defined three sniper classes by their level of training/skill required
"lowest" class is simple designated marksman at squad and maybe platoon level. they have not camoflage but should have scoped
Then comes "fire support sniper" they is trained in camoflage and sharp shooting, but they don't "roam freely", instead give supporting fire to platoons and companies.
Then at the top of heap are scout/snipers, something in vein of for example scout/snipers of USMC. He lamented in his book that scout/snipers are not trained in Finland.
I know that partially these are similar what I have seen other countries have, but I'd like to hear your opinion. How realistic(Term?) are these definitions.

I skimmed thread but didn't find clear opinion on my though:
If youd have enough decent enough manpower and rifles. Would it make sense to have sniper units at all levels ie.
infatry squad: designated marksman/men
infatry platoon: sniper pair
infatry company: sniper team
infantry battalion: sniper platoon
infantry brigade: sniper company <-of this feasiblity I am espesially interested
I am also partially thinking of point of view of finnish army.
Even though even AR armed soldiers are trained to take carefully aimed shots one would think that snipers would be good and cheap force multiplier for non-professional army like ours.
To be continued...

[PsJÄÄK Korte]

On recon: I wonder wether is based on reality of finnish terrain or misunderstanding of armoured recon but here in finland armoured recon platoons are basicly four reduced strenght foot-recon squads riding in either CV90 or BMP-2. I wonder do other countries have similar systems or do everyone else have dedicated platforms for armoured recon and would our type of armoured recon platoon be uselful in any other kind of terrain.
Also in I know here armoured recon means IFV mounted recon, but I am not sure wether APC mounted recon is armoured recon or is it foot-recon albeit with better protected transport. Is for example stryker recon armoured recon or foot recon?

PS. Had I had motorcyclist licence and better fitness (and insaner attitude) before I did my service I might have applied to armoured recon platoon's motorcycle team. but past is past.

[jcustis]

I wonder do other countries have similar systems or do everyone else have dedicated platforms for armoured recon and would our type of armoured recon platoon be uselful in any other kind of terrain.
Also in I know here armoured recon means IFV mounted recon, but I am not sure wether APC mounted recon is armoured recon or is it foot-recon albeit with better protected transport. Is for example stryker recon armoured recon or foot recon?

The US military has a variety of systems, doctrines, and organizations that conduct reconnaissance. I'd say that the Stryker community, much like the USMC's Light Armored Reconnaissance community, would identify with armored reconnaissance, although dismounted reconnaissance patrolling is practiced to a high level of art for the times when the scouts are on the deck.

Long-Range Surveillance units in the Army, and Reconnaissance Battalion and Force Reconnaissance Company units conduct reconnaissance and surveillance that tends to be oriented of foot-mobility, but they retain the generic skills to operate mounted. They are usually limited by the small-arms weapons systems employed on the vehicles the use for mobility, but they can still fight for information to some degree.