Putins infantry soldier of the future

Kalashnikov, Telnyashka, and Titan helmet are by no means the peaks of military evolution in the Russian Empire. As part of the ongoing military modernization program, the personal equipment of soldiers is also being improved. This is the RATNIK equipment system, the functions of which are currently being tested by the military. The procurement became necessary because the Russian infantry forces have completely outdated personal equipment that is far inferior to Western equipment in terms of technology. Udo Lücken has taken a look at the new Russian system for us.

The RATNIK program consists of about 40 technical parts with a total weight of only 24 kilograms. This makes the system lighter than comparable Western equipment concepts. The goal of the new equipment is also to create an interconnected soldier who can determine his own location and/or transmit it to other units using the Russian navigation system GLOSNASS. This capability did not exist in the Russian armed forces, except for elite units, until now.

Around 50 Russian companies worked together with the military on the new combat suit concept, which is essentially based on Western standards. The RATNIK equipment concept continues the current Barmitsa System in development and consists of around 150 new components. These include a combat suit with new carrying properties, various helmets, ballistic protection vests, as well as ear, eye, knee, and elbow protectors. It also includes state-of-the-art night vision technologies. The new combat suit stands out for its camouflage pattern, which combines four different colors. Different combinations of camouflage colors in various shades of green and brown are applied in a speckled form to the fabric. The camouflage pattern was designed by Russian troops as a multicam pattern and has already been tested in combat. Depending on the task of the armed forces, various interpretations of the new camouflage pattern will be used. The combat suit is made of breathable and water-repellent fabric. It is designed to not only protect against fire and weather influences but also significantly reduce the soldier's infrared detectability.

The new ballistic protection vest is not made of hard metal titanium, but of ceramic plates with Kevlar. This material provides effective ballistic protection against ammunition of caliber 5.56mm and above. The ballistic protection vest can also withstand sniper ammunition up to caliber .300 when appropriately reinforced with protection plate inserts. Russian marines can use a special modification of this protection vest with buoyancy aids (so-called Flotation Kit). According to Russian sources, the protection level of the new ballistic protection vest has been increased by 50 percent compared to the old version.

The new helmet is also made of high-strength composite materials and offers the possibility to better accommodate or integrate night vision devices. It also features a camcorder to be able to record ongoing combat and potentially transmit it to a command post or group leader. In addition, a visor can be integrated into the helmet, which can be connected, if necessary, to the night vision target optics of the assault rifle being used. This allows the shooter to hold his rifle over an obstacle and observe a terrain section without having to expose his upper body. This also allows for "looking around the corner" - for example, in urban warfare scenarios - providing a significant tactical advantage in suppressing or directly engaging an enemy from cover.

Special emphasis was placed on the night combat capability of the new RATNIK system, allowing the Russian soldier to detect and engage enemy forces at long distances. This was not possible before and represents another innovation in the modernized equipment concept of the Russian armed forces. The Ministry of Defense in Moscow has signed a three-year contract with the state industry for the annual acquisition of nearly 50,000 sets of combat equipment. The equipment concept is technically comparable to the German GLADIUS, the French FELIN, or the British FIST. In February of this year, the RATNIK equipment concept will be exhibited at the arms fair (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi. Previously, it was presented at the international arms fair Eurosatory in Paris in 2014. The successor model, RATNIK 2, which is in planning, is expected to bring further technical improvements.

Sources: "Defense Newsletter Issue 07-2015"

Presentation at Eurosatory 2014.