Uniforms, Equipment etc.

[TsarSamuil]

Russia in talks with France on 'future soldier' gear.

Russia is holding talks with France on the purchase of Felin advanced "future soldier" equipment, which includes new combat clothing with body armor and a new ballistic helmet, weapons, and a portable computer.

"We will take several Felin sets, we are currently in talks with our French partners," First Deputy Defense Minister Vladimir Popovkin said on Thursday.

Felin, produced by France's Sagem Defense & Security, is currently entering service with the French Army. The system includes a vest containing an integrated radio and GPS system, a hardened laptop computer and advanced optronics.

The new Russian state arms procurement plan includes the creation of a Russian analog of the system, Popovkin said.

"We need something no less capable than the equipment that is now being studied by the United States, Germany and other states," he said.

The Russian military command places the lives of its soldiers above all else, Popovkin said, which is why it had concluded an agreement with Italy's IVECO for armored vehicles to be made in Russia.

He expressed regret that a similar vehicle was not being made in Russia by a domestic producer.

MOSCOW, February 24 (RIA Novosti)

[TsarSamuil]

Infographic,
en.rian.ru/images/16858/41/168584137.jpg

Combat gear of Russian soldiers.

Russian soldiers equip a variety of tactical gear and accessories during combat and in training. The modern soldier’s gear includes reconnaissance and navigation tools (binoculars, night vision goggles, a compass), individual protection gear (a gas mask, gloves, etc), modular gear (backpacks, a Kevlar vest with pouches, a belt), survival gear (a tent, a sleeping bag, etc).

[TsarSamuil]

Russia to make own 'future soldier' gear in 3 years.

17:13 01/12/2011
KLIMOVSK (Moscow Region), December 1 (RIA Novosti)

Russia may develop a domestic version of 'future soldier' gear in the next three years, a high-ranking defense industry official said on Thursday.

“I think that an [Russian-made] infantry soldier system will appear in the next three years,” said Yury Borisov, first deputy chair of the Russian Military-Industrial Commission. “I believe that Russian arms makers are quite capable of creating ‘future soldier gear’ which can compete with any similar equipment in service with other armed forces around the world.”

Borisov said the Russian version would have a “reasonable” weight and consist of at least 10 modules to make it adaptable to different combat situations.

A typical infantry soldier system weighs less than 25 kilograms (55 lbs) and includes weapons, ammunition, combat clothing with body armor, a ballistic helmet, a portable computer and various communications equipment.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in February it was holding talks with France on the purchase of Felin advanced 'future soldier' equipment for “testing purposes.”

Some of the early 'future soldier' equipment was tested by the United States in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Various versions are being introduced as standard infantry soldier gear in NATO member states and some other countries.

[TsarSamuil]

Russia May Soon Adopt ?Future Soldier? Gear ? Rogozin.

KOVROV, June 4 (RIA Novosti) ? The Russian version of ?future soldier? gear could be put into service with the armed forces in the near future, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Tuesday.

Rogozin, who visited the privately owned Degtyarev small arms plant in central Russia, said the tests of domestically designed Ratnik (Warrior) gear had been completed.

?There are some issues with small arms that should be addressed in the near future, and after that the gear will be adopted by the army,? Rogozin said.

Ratnik comprises more than 40 components, including firearms, body armor and optical, communication and navigation devices, as well as life support and power supply systems, and even knee and elbow pads. The equipment can be used by regular infantry, rocket launcher operators, machine gunners, drivers and scouts.

Many other nations have similar future soldier equipment programs in progress, including the U.S. Land Warrior, Germany's IdZ, Britain's FIST, Spain's COMFUT, Sweden's IMESS and France's FELIN.

Rogozin stressed that the Russian gear would be superior in many ways to comparable NATO equipment.

?And we stand by our words,? he said.

[TsarSamuil]

Russia May Soon Adopt ‘Future Soldier’ Gear – Rogozin.

KOVROV, June 4 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian version of “future soldier” gear could be put into service with the armed forces in the near future, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Tuesday.

Rogozin, who visited the privately owned Degtyarev small arms plant in central Russia, said the tests of domestically designed Ratnik (Warrior) gear had been completed.

“There are some issues with small arms that should be addressed in the near future, and after that the gear will be adopted by the army,” Rogozin said.

Ratnik comprises more than 40 components, including firearms, body armor and optical, communication and navigation devices, as well as life support and power supply systems, and even knee and elbow pads. The equipment can be used by regular infantry, rocket launcher operators, machine gunners, drivers and scouts.

Many other nations have similar future soldier equipment programs in progress, including the U.S. Land Warrior, Germany's IdZ, Britain's FIST, Spain's COMFUT, Sweden's IMESS and France's FELIN.

Rogozin stressed that the Russian gear would be superior in many ways to comparable NATO equipment.

“And we stand by our words,” he said.

[TsarSamuil]

Russian Military to Adopt ‘Future Soldier’ Gear in 2014.

MOSCOW, October 20 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian Defense Ministry will start mass purchases of domestically designed “future soldier” gear in 2014, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.

The gear, dubbed Ratnik, comprises more than 40 components, including firearms, body armor and optical, communication and navigation devices, as well as life support and power supply systems, and even knee and elbow pads.

The equipment can be used by regular infantry, rocket launcher operators, machine gunners, drivers and scouts.

“We have practically finished work on the Ratnik gear and will start purchases of series-produced equipment for our army next year,” Shoigu told reporters on Saturday.

The Ratnik gear has been successfully tested by the Russian military but is adoption into service has been delayed due to uncertainty with the choice of small arms component, which is likely to include the new Kalashnikov AK-12 assault rifle.

Many other nations have similar future soldier equipment programs in progress, including the U.S. Land Warrior, Germany's IdZ, Britain's FIST, Spain's COMFUT, Sweden's IMESS and France's FELIN.

[TsarSamuil]

Russian Deputy Premier Promotes ‘Invulnerable’ Soldier Concept.

NOVOSIBIRSK, November 15 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian defense industry should focus on the development of advanced technologies that would allow soldiers to become virtually invulnerable on the battlefield, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Friday.

“Our soldier must be able to hit targets without being hit by enemy fire. That’s what we are working on now,” Rogozin said at the Technoprom high-tech industry expo in Siberia.

Rogozin said a new state arms procurement program for 2016-2025 will take into account new challenges and threats that could undermine Russia’s national security in the future.

He reiterated that the Russian military should become a compact, rapid-reaction force equipped with robotic weaponry and automated combat management systems with highly secure and fast communication links.

According to Rogozin, robotic technologies should be present in the development of all types of military hardware for use on the ground, in the air, and underwater.

Russia is currently implementing an ambitious rearmament program through 2020, with a budget of some 20 trillion rubles ($640 billion). The program will see the share of modern weaponry in Russia’s armed forces reach 30 percent by 2015 and 70 percent by 2020.

[TsarSamuil]

Russia to Adopt ‘Future Soldier’ Gear in Summer.

MOSCOW, February 21 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian military will adopt domestically designed “future soldier” gear this summer, the Defense Ministry said Thursday.

The adoption of the Ratnik gear into service has been repeatedly delayed due to uncertainty over the choice of small arms component, which is likely to include the new Kalashnikov AK-12 assault rifle. The equipment is currently in the final stages of field testing by Russian paratroopers.

Ratnik comprises about 50 components, including firearms, body armor and optical, communication and navigation devices, as well as life support and power supply systems.

The equipment can be used by regular infantry, paratroopers, rocket launcher operators, machine gunners, drivers and scouts.

Many other nations have similar future soldier equipment programs in progress, including the US Land Warrior, Germany's IdZ, Britain's FIST, Spain's COMFUT, Sweden's IMESS and France's FELIN.

[TsarSamuil]

Russia’s Army to Get ‘Future Soldier’ Gear in October – Defense Ministry.

ALABINO (Moscow Region), August 5 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian Defense Ministry hopes to start purchases of domestically designed «future soldier» gear Ratnik, which is currently in its final trials, already in October, the head of a military and scientific department of Russia’s Ground Forces said Tuesday.

“Ratnik is currently undergoing its final tests and we hope that since October all the components will be purchased in series and supplied to the troops,” Aleksander Romanyuta said

“If any deficiencies are found, they will be eliminated during the first year of exploitation,” he said.

The head of the Tochmash state arms firm based near Moscow, Dmitry Semizorov, said the Russian Defense Ministry plans to get 50,000 Ratnik sets annually. This will allow the industry to fulfill the task of providing the Army with 70 percent of the new equipment.

Semizorov added that the weapons-making agency has also started creating a new combat gear that is set to replace Ratnik in coming years.

Ratnik comprises about 50 components, including firearms, body armor and optical, communication and navigation devices, as well as life support and power supply systems.

The equipment can be used by regular infantry, paratroopers, rocket launcher operators, machine gunners, drivers and scouts.

Many other nations have similar future soldier equipment programs in progress, including the US Land Warrior, Germany’s IdZ, Britain’s FIST, Spain’s COMFUT, Sweden’s IMESS and France’s FELIN.

[TsarSamuil]

Russia: Has Russia leapfrogged world with "futuristic" Ratnik combat gear?

RuptlyTV
Aug 15, 2014



M/S Woman in Ratnik gear holding RPK
M/S Woman taking off helmet
C/U Symbol of Russian Ministry of Defence
M/S Woman in Ratnik gear
C/U Soldier equipped with Ratnik gear
SOT Ratnik product spokesperson (in English): "Russian enterprises developed a special technology for the helmets, which allow to reduce the weight and remain their soft layers, so it is very protective for the soldier."
C/U Symbol of Russian Ministry of Defence
SOT Ratnik product spokesperson (in English): "Ratnik is unique gear because the weight of the whole complex is less than 24kgs. It is a very good result for today."
M/S Ratnik equipment on display
M/S Soldier wearing Ratnik gear showcasing different bullet holes in bulletproof vest
C/U Ratnik gear showcasing different bullet holes on bulletproof vest
M/S Soldier wearing Ratnik gear


New, state-of-the-art personal combat equipment called Ratnik has been dazzling visitors at the international arms exhibition OboronExpo 2014, running from August 13 to 17 in the town of Zhukovskiy, Moscow Region. The ultra-protective, ultra-light gear, also known as the "Warrior", uses a nano-tech titanium and boron carbide combination and is being billed as the ultimate challenge to rifle and munition makers.

The Ratnik is composed of ceramic hard armour plates and tactical armour plate vests reportedly able to deflect 5.56×45mm NATO ammo and bullets from AK74 and SVD automatic rifles. Besides protection from large calibre bullets, the gear also offers protection to 90 percent of the soldier's body from artillery shell, mine fragments, land mines and open flames. The helmet is said to be resistant to gunfire from as close as five metres (16ft).

Ratnik comprises a total of ten subsystems and includes around 50 components. Besides a multi-layered helmet, small arms, a cutting tool, knee and elbow pads, hand grenades, ammunition, grenade launchers and night-vision devices, it is also equipped with communication and navigation devices, life support and embedded power supply equipment. Its control system also includes a target indicator, as well as an information and identification system which reports the location of the soldier to the command.

Made of heat-resistant synthetic Aramid fibre, which provides basic protection against shrapnel and splinters, the suit is ultra-light with a standard set weighing around 10kg (22 pounds) and the complete set with helmet and armoured pads weighing just 20kg (44 pounds).

Ratnik can be used by infantry, machine gunners, rocket launcher operators, paratroopers, drivers and scouts. Any soldier wearing the gear would be able to shoot around corners by combining the helmet's sight with the rifle's sight so that the thermal imaging would allow the shooter to differentiate between targets at distances of up to 1.2 kilometres (0.7 miles).

The Russian Defence Ministry expects to purchase 50,000 "Ratnik future soldier" gear sets annually beginning in October of this year.

[TsarSamuil]

Russia to Start Field Tests of ‘Future Soldier’ Gear in December.

MOSCOW, October 1 (RIA Novosti) – Field tests of cutting-edge combat gear for Russian soldiers will begin in December, Russian Land Force commander-in-chief Col. Gen. Oleg Salyukov said Wednesday.

"The combat kit is currently undergoing the final stage of state trials. In December, field tests will begin in units of the Ground Forces, the Airborne Forces and the Marine infantry of the Navy," he said.

When asked about the effectiveness of the new gear, Salyukov said, "Objective conclusions about the effectiveness of the Ratnik combat kit can be made based on the results of the field test."

He noted that apart from upgrading bulletproof vests and improving the effectiveness of small arms, the weight of the full combat kit has been reduced from 34 kilograms (75 pounds) to 24. The new Ratnik gear allows military personnel to carry out combat missions at any time of day and under different weather conditions.

According to Salyukov, equipping units with the new kit could increase the probability of combat missions being successfully executed by 1.5 to 2 times.

The Ratnik (Warrior) kit comprises more than 40 components, including firearms, body armor and optical, communication and navigation devices, as well as life support and power supply systems.

The number of items carried at all times by military personnel is constantly increasing under modern combat conditions, Salyukov said. Combat experience and results of comparative tests of foreign and domestic military equipment was taken into account when developing the Ratnik kit.

The gear is suitable for use by regular infantry, paratroopers, rocket launcher operators, machine gunners, drivers and scouts.

Other countries have similar futuristic combat gear kits, including the United States’ Land Warrior, Germany's IdZ, Britain's FIST, Spain's ComFut, Switzerland’s IMESS and France's FELIN.

[TsarSamuil]

Russia: Troops try out Ratnik battle gear before general rollout.

RuptlyTV
Nov 5, 2014



C/U Person firing a Dragunov sniper rifle
SOT, Dmitry Semizarov, CEO of TsNIITochMash (Russian): "All gear is internal production. There are no imported elements. What concerns for example, fragmentation jackets, today it protects from any fragment. And this protects soldiers almost one hundred percent."
C/U Person looking down the sight of an SV-98 rifle


Russian troops trained with the next-generation Ratnik combat system at the Central Research Institute for Precision Machine Building testing ground outside Moscow on Monday. Russia’s Defence Ministry had signed a three-year contract to take delivery of the ‘Ratnik’ (warrior) gear. The first troops will begin wearing the outfit towards the end of 2014, and most ground forces are expected to phase in the new system within five years.

The body armour is made of boron-carbide composite plates which are reportedly able to deflect 5.56mm rounds used by most NATO armies. The helmet is said to be resistant to gunfire from as close as five (16 feet) to ten metres (33 feet); meanwhile the reinforced aramid fabric in the fatigues provides basic protection against shrapnel and splinters. As a complete set with helmet and armoured pads it weighs 20 kg (44 lbs), making it light enough to afford movement to soldiers in the field. The goggles come with a display which links to the sight of an assault rifle, allowing soldiers to aim round corners and over obstacles.

Ratnik comprises a total of ten subsystems and includes around 50 components. Besides a multi-layered helmet, small arms, a cutting tool, knee and elbow pads, hand grenades, ammunition, grenade launchers and night-vision devices, it is also equipped with communication and navigation devices, life support and embedded power supply equipment. Its control system also includes a target indicator, as well as an information and identification system which reports the location of the soldier to the command.

[TsarSamuil]

Iron Man mass-production? Russian army may get combat exoskeletons by 2020.

RT.com
April 29, 2015 19:13

A Russian defense contractor says it will be able to mass produce mind-controlled combat exoskeletons for Russian soldiers in five years. The devices would allow the troops to run faster, jump higher and lift weights beyond human capacity.

“I think in about five years we will have a neuro-interface to control exoskeletons and prosthetics through the brain’s electric impulses,” Aleksandr Kulish, the head of the medical equipment development and manufacturing department of Russia’s United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation, told TASS news agency.

The new system could increase the wearer’s strength and endurance manyfold, allowing soldiers to make tremendous leaps, lift and throw objects they normally could not, as well as carrying up to 300 kilograms of equipment.

An exoskeleton is essentially a ‘wearable robot’, an external skeleton-like structure that follows the shape of the wearer's body and partially encases it. It has joints and other mechanisms allowing it to repeat and strengthen the body's natural movements.

The current neuro-interface allows for the control of an exoskeleton through visual images, says Aleksandr Kulish: “For example, a person imagines a black square, and the [exoskeleton's] hand unclenches, and if they imagine a red square, it clenches.”

Exoskeletons are being developed worldwide. Apart from military use, they could have numerous civilian implementations. Medical skeletons could assist the movement of injured, disabled, or overtly obese patients, while construction workers could benefit from the ability to lift greater loads.

The idea of the exoskeleton is borrowed from nature: Insects, crustaceans and other invertebrates use hard external casings to support and protect themselves, although in their cases, the shell covers all or most of the body.

[TsarSamuil]

Russian Army to Receive First 50,000 Sets of 'Future Soldier' Gear in 2015.

MILITARY & INTELLIGENCE 16:49 26.05.2015

The Russian defense industry has completed the development of 'future soldier' gear, and the armed forces will receive first 50,000 sets in 2015 and the same number in 2016, a senior defense industry official said Tuesday.

KAZAN (Sputnik) — The gear, dubbed Ratnik, comprises more than 40 components, including firearms, body armor, and optical, communication and navigation devices, as well as life support and power supply systems.

"The current state defense order envisions delivery of 50,000 sets in 2015. This work will continue next year, and the army will receive the same number of Ratnik sets in 2016," said Oleg Bochkarev, deputy chairman of the Collegiate of Russia's Military-Industrial Commission.

cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/images/102257/12/1022571212.jpg
A man demonstrates the new gear of a Russian serviceman designed by Tsniitochmash © SPUTNIK/ MIKHAIL VOSKRESENSKIY

[TsarSamuil]

Russia’s new EMP-proof military smartwatch tracks vitals, locations.

RT.com
27 Oct, 2015 20:34

Russia’s military now has an innovative and resilient new smartwatch in its inventory. The wearable device, which could operate in conditions following a nuclear blast, serves as an alarm sensor, vitals controller, positioning tracker and emergency beacon.

This wearable gadget developed by the Argus-Spektr Company is called the ‘Strelets’ (Archer) and can be worn by a serviceman in the same way as any other watch.

The ‘Strelets’ maintains a constant link with a command console via a secure digital link using classified waveforms that are impossible to suppress or jam without powerful electronic interference – which would inevitably be detected.


© argus-spectr.ru

In case of a medical emergency or an abnormal situation it would send an alarm signal to the command console, which would immediately forward the data to an executive officer.

The officer would immediately know what had happened and the position and rank of the particular watch’s owner.

The ‘Strelets’ would send an alarm message if a soldier stopped breathing, remained motionless for more than 45 seconds, left the designated area, or even if the gadget was simply taken off. After sending an alarm signal, the watch turns into a distress beacon, leading rescue teams to its owner.

It could also receive coordinates for a particular place and lead its owner there. This ability is thanks to the GLONASS global positioning system microchip incorporated into the latest version of the military gadget.

The initial idea for the ‘Strelets’ was to equip security personnel at remote military installations with an immediate feedback communication link to raise an alarm in case personnel had been interfered with.

The gadget has been tested in extreme conditions over the last two years, and it demonstrated flawless operation at temperatures from -50 to +50 degrees Celsius, making it the golden standard of Russian military hardware and guarantees operability from frozen Arctic conditions to extreme hot weather in deserts of Central Asia.

In addition to all of this, the watch remained functional after being exposed to the kind of electromagnetic frequency impulse (EMP) that accompanies a close-range nuclear explosion, reported its creators when announcing an upgraded version of the gadget at Interpolitex military expo previous week.

The Argus-Specter Company’s CEO Sergey Levchuk said that the watch is already being used by external perimeter guards and officers of the National Defense Control Center in Moscow. An earlier version of the gadget is said to have been used during the Olympic Games in Sochi last year.