WARRIOR: Version 3 is supposed to have an exoskeleton.

The Ratnik System is currently being issued in the Russian Army. It is essentially the Russian version of the "Infantryman of the Future", where the basic equipment seems quite regular and in many elements rather reminiscent of an American ECWCS clothing system, there are also things included that go beyond classic equipment. The neat knee above is part of an exoskeleton that comes with the Ratnik and is supposed to make the soldiers' work easier.

Exoskeletons are currently being experimented with everywhere and there are often fantastic claims of 3-meter steps and great lifting forces - multiple times that of a normal person.

The images above are from a 2018 trade fair in Russia and show the Russian exoskeleton - above in the opener we have linked a video for you. It is quickly apparent that it is primarily a framework that supports legwork. The man on the left is carrying the PKM machine gun in the classic way with a strap around his neck, but he has a backpack with a 1,000-rounds capacity and protected ammunition feed. Moving around with that on must be tiresome in the long run - unless the comrade's name is Rambo.

This is a current picture from Syria. A Russian engineer is using the exoskeleton to carry a jammer around. He is wearing the Ratnik uniform with an outer suit in the desert version of Digital Flora, along with a full plate carrier with collar protection. Moving around with the jammer in the terrain - probably in the ruins of ancient Palmyra, where propaganda photos are known to be taken. We'll spare you the cheap joke that the Russians have also developed the largest version of the iPad... For more on the arms race in exoskeletons, click HERE.

The Russian Army on the internet: eng.mil.ru