Russian military equipment "Ratnik" (photo)

The founder of the theoretical foundations of the science of equipment can be called Generalissimo Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov. It was during the rapid transitions that the imperial army demonstrated to the whole world tremendous mobility, which determined the numerous victories of the Russian Army. Suvorov soldier carried a lot, but the degree of feasibility of ammunition great commander, not possessing an athletic figure, nevertheless, he tested himself. If he could walk with a knapsack and a rifle like any soldier, then everything is in order. The new military 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

From the principle of protecting the vital organs of the human body, armies of virtually all countries of the world refused during the First World War. The exception was the head - it was covered with a helmet. The field military uniform was a variant of ordinary clothing made of textiles, adapted for war and having a camouflage coloring. At us this gray-green color was accepted to name protective, in other countries it has received definition "hacks", irrespective of a shade. We tried to make the tailings as comfortable as possible, equipped the tunic with pockets, while each state sought to give the external appearance of its soldiers a certain dexterity and aggressiveness. This tradition has been preserved since the time when the military was fashionable with galloons, epaulettes and other ornaments that became superfluous in the utilitarian twentieth century. And even earlier, soldiers wore armor, protected from arrows, spears and other sharp objects, with which the enemy tried to hit them. In the sixties, to the idea of protecting the trunk, humanity returned - body armor appeared. But they did not solve all the problems, even in combination with helmets.

Russian military uniform: classic and modern

In our country for a long time the equipment has not been given proper attention. The Soviet soldier of the era of "mature socialism" was, in general, dressed in the same way as his great-grandfather, who fought somewhere in Galicia in 1915. The overcoat became shorter, the shape of the tunic changed somewhat, the cap received "ears", but basically the traditions of the Russian military form of tsarist times survived. Serious metamorphosis occurred in the mid-eighties, during the Afghan war. At the same time, the same bulletproof vests, approved by the Americans in Vietnam, entered the army. And still our outfit 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 competitors and competitors do not expect this. Military equipment "Ratnik" even the recognized leaders - the Americans - did not expect us.

The ideology of the Ratnik

Yes, it was the Americans who always strived to give comfort even to such an obviously unpleasant, dangerous and dirty occupation as the war. Developers of the Pentagon's ammunition tried to apply a scientific approach to every detail, from special sleeping bags to the diet. Combat equipment "Ratnik" has incorporated into its ideology all the experience accumulated by armies of the world for a long time. It was designed to become not just a military form, but a whole 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 situations in which he could die, if he had ordinary ammunition. And in the complete set of military equipment "Ratnik" are provided devices and devices, created on the basis of the latest achievements of electronics. These gadgets are designed to help detect the enemy, not to lose focus on the terrain, to fire from the safest position and much more.

Functional blocks of the system

Combat equipment "Ratnik" is a complex of wearable clothes 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 greatest damage on the enemy in case of an armed conflict. For this, the fighter has a firearm and cold steel.

2. Means of protection. The possibility of effective opposition exists as long as the soldier is alive and well. The enemy, in turn, seeks to inflict injuries on 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. Power supply system. The soldier is in danger not only from the bullets and shells of the enemy: he can just freeze if he has to stay in the cold for a long time. The complex of military equipment "Ratnik" is equipped with a source of heat energy for heating, if necessary.

4. Means of communication and management. A successful victory depends on the successful interaction of soldiers during the fighting.

5. Means of exploration. The ability to see in the dark, look out from behind a barrier and transmit the collected information with reference to the coordinates of the terrain created by a network-centric information system, which is supplied with each set of combat equipment "Ratnik.

Components

To implement the functional blocks, the specialist TsNII "Tochmash" developed a number of items necessary for the fighter (there are 59 of them). Two kinds of backpacks (raid and patrol), a vest with quick-detachable elements, a tent, a sleeping bag, armored helmets, overalls made of special material, protective goggles and much more are intended to provide the conditions for active combat viability. Combat equipment "Ratnik" weighs from 20 to 24 kilograms, depending on the configuration. For comparison: an American soldier is forced to carry ammunition with a total mass of 34 kg. To provide such an advantage, Russian designers applied a systematic approach, creating 21 items of unique design and modernizing 17 pre-existing elements of military equipment. Some of them are worth stopping.

Flak jacket

The historical fact of the mass death of the knights of the Teutonic Order in the Chudskoye Lake during the Battle of the Ice (1242) is known. Indeed, heavy armor can not only protect the warrior from the damaging elements, but also become dangerous under certain circumstances. An interesting approach to this problem is the general designer VN Lepin, under whose guidance Ratnik was developed. Russian combat equipment when a soldier enters the water can be dropped, and instantly. In this case, a bulletproof vest of a unique design serves as a rescue device, automatically receiving a positive buoyancy. On it there are also knots of fastening of pouches, various devices and means.

Helmet

Usual iron helmet not only does not protect against modern means of fire destruction - it represents a danger. If you hit it, a bullet with a shifted axis of rotation begins to move along an unpredictable trajectory inside the space limited by the helmet. Thus, even the tangential chamber becomes the cause of death. Quite differently behaves a multi-layer lightweight helmet, included in the kit "Ratnik". Russian combat equipment is designed taking into account many situations that can arise on the battlefield. The helmet has a combined structure in which the bullet "sticks". He can withstand a pistol hit from a five-meter distance, and besides, it is equipped with fittings for accessories, including a portable infrared video camera, communication and navigation.

Special textiles

The design of special materials for the sewing of soldiers' clothes is a task so complex that whole branches of the chemical and textile industry are engaged in it. The requirements for military clothing are very specific and sometimes contradictory. It should be strong and not burn at the same time, and certainly not to melt. In it, the fighter must feel comfortable, in other words, the fabric must be used "breathing", hygroscopic. But she can not get wet. Combat equipment "Ratnik" is sewed from special materials, including membrane ones (having the property of unilateral transmission of moisture), light, durable and maximally appropriate to the situation of almost any complexity.

Other important things

The soldier in battle and during the preparation for him may need different ammunition. There are no trifles here, each element should have the maximum reliability, compactness and be easy at the same time. Here are just some of the items that make up the Warik outfit: 2 backpacks of various sizes, heater, heaters, camouflage kits, water filter, sapper blade, signal lamp, watch, special knife, tent, first aid kit, chemical and Radiation monitoring, binoculars.

An important element of the ammunition is a special device for hearing protection, artificially narrowing the dynamic range of acoustic waves. Loud sounds muffle, and quiet, on the contrary, amplify.

Weapons

The general military doctrine of the Russian Army is changing. Large, mobile armed forces will soon be replaced by compact, mobile and highly professional combat units. This, in the long run, will also contribute to increasing combat effectiveness and reducing defense spending. The most common machine 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 the average, he will be able to deal with 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 not yet known. Rifle samples are developed constantly, and in which of them the customer (MO) will choose his choice, time will tell.

So when?

For whom is it intended and when the combat equipment "Ratnik" will be adopted, the photo of which became available after the demonstration at the MAKS 2011 airshow? Perhaps some elite military units, special units of the GRU, the FSB, the Special Forces, the Marine Corps, the Airborne Troops will be dressed in this technological miracle, and the remaining soldiers will still manage?

No, this outfit will become a general-military one - by the end of the decade every Russian soldier will receive it, despite the high cost of the kit (up to one million rubles). By the way, American ammunition is harder and worse, and costs US taxpayers several times more expensive. The process of re-equipping-dressing has already begun. The military outfit "Ratnik" is on the way.