The founder of the theoretical foundations of the science of equipment can be called Generalissimo Alexander Vasilievich Suvorov. It was during the rapid transitions that the imperial army showed tremendous mobility to the whole world, which caused numerous victories of the Russian Army. The Suvorov soldier carried a lot, but the great commander, not possessing an athletic figure, nevertheless checked the degree of ammunition feasibility. If he could walk with a satchel and a rifle, like any soldier, then everything is in order. The new combat equipment “Ratnik”, adopted by the Russian Army at the beginning of the 20th century, would most likely have been approved by Alexander Vasilievich.
A brief history of military fashion
The principle of protecting the vital organs of the human body in the army of almost all countries of the world was abandoned during the First World War. The exception was the head - it was still covered with a helmet. The field military uniform was a variant of ordinary clothing made of textiles, adapted for war and having camouflage coloring. We have called this gray-green color protective, in other countries it has received the definition of “khaki”, regardless of shade. They tried to make the cut as comfortable as possible, equipped the tunic with pockets, and each state sought to give the appearance of its soldiers a certain daring and aggressiveness. This tradition has been preserved since the time when the military had fashionable galloons, epaulettes and other jewelry that became redundant in the utilitarian twentieth century. And even earlier, soldiers wore armor that protected them from arrows, spears, and other sharp objects with which the enemy tried to hit them. In the 60s, mankind returned to the idea of protecting the torso - body armor appeared. But they did not solve all problems, even in combination with helmets.
Russian military uniform: classic and modern
In our country, for a long time, the equipment was not given due attention. The Soviet soldier of the era of "mature socialism" was, by and large, dressed like his great-grandfather, who fought somewhere in Galicia in 1915. The overcoat has become shorter, the style of the tunic has undergone some changes, the cap has received “ears”, but basically the traditions of the Russian military uniform of the tsarist times have been preserved. Serious metamorphoses occurred in the mid-eighties during the Afghan war. At the same time, the same body armor, tested by the Americans in Vietnam, went into army use. And still, our equipment remained one of the simplest in the world. But Russia has always been able to surprise with unexpected successes in those areas of activity in which rivals and competitors do not expect this. Even the recognized leaders - the Americans - did not expect us to battle equipment "Ratnik".
The ideology of the "Warrior"
Yes, it was the Americans who always strove to give comfort to even such a deliberately unpleasant, dangerous, and dirty occupation as war. The developers of the Pentagon ammunition tried to apply a scientific approach to every little thing, starting from special sleeping bags and ending with a ration. The combat equipment “Ratnik” has incorporated into its ideology all the experience accumulated by the armies of the world over a long time. It was called upon to become not just a military uniform, but an integral, functionally saturated complex, ensuring the fulfillment of several tasks at once. A soldier wearing it should become more protected, get information support and gain the ability to survive in those situations in which he could die, if he had ordinary ammunition on it. And also in the set of combat equipment “Ratnik” there are devices and devices created based on the latest achievements of electronics. These gadgets are designed to help detect the enemy, not to lose orientation on the ground, to fire from the most secure position and much more.
System function blocks
The combat equipment “Ratnik” is a complex of wearable equipment and clothing, functionally divided into groups:
1. Means of destruction. This is the most important functional group. The main purpose of any warrior is to inflict the most damage on the enemy in the event of armed conflict. For this, the soldier has a firearm and cold steel.
2. Remedies. The possibility of effective counteraction exists as long as the soldier is alive and well. The enemy, in turn, seeks to injure the warrior. Body armor, helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, shields and other devices protect the soldier’s body from hostile influences and accidental injuries.
3. The energy supply system. The soldier is in danger, not only from the bullets and shells of the enemy: he can simply freeze if he has to stay in the cold for a long time. The combat equipment complex "Ratnik" is equipped with a source of thermal energy for heating if necessary.
4. Communication and management. Victory depends on the successful interaction of soldiers during the fighting.
5. Intelligence tools. The ability to see in the dark, peek out from behind an obstacle and transmit collected information with reference to the coordinates of the terrain is created by a network-centric information system, which is equipped with each set of combat equipment “Warrior.
Components
To implement the functional blocks, the specialist of the Central Research Institute “Tochmash” developed a number of items necessary for the fighter (a total of 59). To ensure the conditions of active combat vitality, two types of backpacks (raid and patrol), a vest with quick-detachable elements, a tent, a sleeping bag, armor helmets, overalls from special material, protective glasses and much more are intended. Combat equipment "Warrior" weighs from 20 to 24 kilograms, depending on configuration. For comparison: an American soldier is forced to carry ammunition with a total mass of 34 kg. To ensure such an advantage, Russian designers took a systematic approach, creating 21 pieces of unique design and modernizing 17 previously existing elements of military equipment. Some of them should stop attention.
Body armor
The historical fact of the mass death of the Knights of the Teutonic Order in Lake Peipsi during the Battle of Ice (1242) is known. Indeed, heavy armor can not only protect the warrior from damaging elements, but can become dangerous under certain circumstances. An interesting approach to this problem is the general designer V. N. Lepin, under whose leadership the “Warrior” was developed. When a soldier enters the water, Russian military equipment can be dropped, and instantly. At the same time, a body armor of a unique design serves as a life-saving tool, automatically receiving positive buoyancy. It also has attachment points for pouches, various devices and technical means.
Helmet
An ordinary iron helmet not only does not protect against modern means of fire destruction - it is a danger. When hit by a bullet with a displaced axis of rotation, it begins to move along an unpredictable trajectory within the space bounded by the helmet. Thus, even a tangential lumbago becomes the cause of death. The multilayer lightweight helmet included in the Warrior kit behaves completely differently. Russian military equipment is designed taking into account many situations that may arise on the battlefield. The helmet has a combined structure in which the bullet “sticks”. It withstands pistol hits from a five-meter distance, and in addition, it is equipped with mounts for fittings, including a portable infrared video camera, communications and navigation.
Special textile
Designing special materials for sewing clothes of soldiers is such a difficult task that whole branches of the chemical and textile industries are involved in it. The requirements for military clothing are very specific and sometimes contradictory. It should be strong and at the same time not burn, and even more so not to melt. In it, the fighter should feel comfortable, in other words, the fabric must be used "breathable", hygroscopic. But she can not get wet. The combat equipment “Ratnik” is sewn from special materials, including membrane (having the property of one-sided transmission of moisture), light, durable and most appropriate to the situation of almost any complexity.
Other important things
The soldier in battle and during preparation for it may require different ammunition. There are no trifles here, each element should have maximum reliability, compactness and be lightweight at the same time. Here are just a few of the items that make up the “Warrior” combat equipment: 2 backpacks of various sizes, an independent heater, heaters, camouflage kits, a water filter, a sapper blade, a signal light, a watch, a special knife, a tent, a first-aid kit, chemical and radiation control, binoculars.
An important element of ammunition is a special device for hearing protection, artificially narrowing the dynamic range of acoustic waves. Loud sounds are muffled, and quiet sounds, on the contrary, are amplified.
Weapon
The general military doctrine of the Russian Army is changing. The numerous "mass" armed forces will soon be replaced by compact, mobile and highly professional combat units. This, in the long run, will contribute to both increasing combat effectiveness and lowering defense spending. The most massive machine gun in the history of mankind, AK, perhaps in this case will lose its main advantage - simplicity. The Russian soldier of the future is a man with intelligence above average, he will be able to figure out more complex small arms. Although there is a possibility that Kalashnikov will still serve if its characteristics can be brought to the level of modern requirements. Whether the soldiers will be armed with AK-12 or Degtyarev (AEK-971) is still unknown. Rifle samples are constantly being developed, and on which one the customer (MO) will choose - time will tell.
