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Originally Posted by copeab
I assume the driver and gunner only operate dismounted in the most unusual of circumstances (eg, vehicle disabled), so the squad is effectively 7 men.
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Is the SVD stowed on one of the BTRs to be issued by the platoon leader as he sees fit? You don't list a dedicated platoon sniper.
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Sources from the time are mixed, at best; FM 100 states that one rifle squad carries the SVD as a supplemental weapon, its TO&E charts do confirm that all personnel were issued with PM, AKs or RPKs. Isby's "Weapons and Tactis of the Soviet Army" state that one rifleman in each platoon underwent 45-60 days of unit training, followed by specialist sniper school.
My own take is that the SVD is a supplemental weapon, but that one rifleman is a designated shooter with enough training on the SVD to make good use of its capabilities.