Russia Tests ‘Future Soldier’ Uniform

Russian military equipment sets Ratnik, nicknamed “future soldier uniforms,” performed well in recent tests, paving the way for their implementation, a senior army official said on Saturday.
Ratnik (“Warrior”) comprises more than 40 components, including firearms, body armor, optic, communication and navigation devices, life support and power supply systems and even knee and elbow pads, said the commander of the Ground Forces, Vladimir Chirkin.

The equipment can be used by regular infantry, rocket launcher operators, machine gunners, drivers and scouts, Chirkin said on Ekho Moskvy radio.The equipment sets are light and come in summer and winter variants, Chirkin added, without elaborating on the weight.

Ratnik was tested during recent Caucasus-2012 command post exercise, the officer said. Tests are also ongoing at Alabino testing grounds outside Moscow. The “wonderful sets” may “soon” be introduced in the military, Chirkin said. He gave no timeframe.

Russia planned to buy a limited number of FELIN infantry combat systems from France in 2011, but later opted to produce its own equipment. Development and implementation are expected to be finished by 2015, a government official said last December.

The military also tested the Zarya (“Dawn”) troop command system during the Caucasus-2012 exercise, Chirkin said. The system needs improving, but will likely be finished in the next few years, he said.