In April, it will be exactly one year since a new power structure appeared in Russia - the Russian National Guard. The uniforms of SOBR, OMON and private security forces still bear police symbols. But work on equipping and uniforming the employees of the new department is nevertheless underway: at an exhibition in Balashikha near Moscow, fresh prototypes of guards uniforms and technical equipment, such as night vision sights, an exoskeleton and underwear that regulates body temperature, were presented. Lenta.ru, together with fashion designer Yulia Dalakyan, assessed the appearance of the Russian Guards.
Invisibility suit and smart underwear
Perhaps the most interesting samples presented at the show are associated with various technological know-how. One of the most noticeable is camouflage suits made from materials with infrared remission properties. Outwardly, they are no different from ordinary military equipment, but they have an important quality: they are invisible or poorly visible in a night vision scope. Camouflage spots on the fabric reflect light waves with different intensities, due to which the silhouette of a person in night vision devices seems to be split into fragments and is much less noticeable in the dark.
Photo: Mikhail Voskresensky / RIA Novosti
Another new product for the Russian Guard soldiers is smart thermal underwear. Manufacturers claim that it is comfortable at temperatures from minus 20 to plus 20 degrees Celsius, since it cools in hot weather and warms in cold weather. In addition, thanks to the compression effect, thermal underwear supports the muscles, which helps to avoid rapid fatigue during exercise.
Among the exhibits is an exoskeleton that increases the strength of a soldier. It is unlikely that this technical innovation will be put into service in the near future, but such things, according to the organizers, are the future of law enforcement agencies.
What does the clothing of the Russian National Guard look like?
At the moment, the composition of the Russian Guard is 350 thousand people. These structures are numerous security forces. The Russian Guard is subordinate to the President.
The uniform was designed to perform a variety of tasks. The following options are presented:
- Uniform for everyday wear;
- Equipment for riot police and special forces;
- Winter and summer sets;
- Clothing for special forces and intelligence units.
Office
Riot police have several types of service uniforms. In field conditions, blue and green are used.
Black is necessary to capture dangerous criminals. It includes armor protection, as well as a bulletproof helmet.
The main attribute is a bulletproof vest with the fifth degree of protection, knee pads, and thigh pads. Now the Russian Guard wants to abandon the “Number” camouflage pattern for field clothing.
Casual
The casual uniform is similar to clothing for law enforcement officers. They have a distinctive feature - the color of the uniform is not blue, like that of internal affairs workers, but gray on outer clothing. In addition, there are side, chest and sleeve pockets. A prototype exoskeleton is presented. It helps to increase the capability of a person.
There are special levers that are attached directly to the arms and legs. They transmit movement impulses during the work of arms and legs. So far, the project has been launched as an experiment, but the authorities hope that the new product will be accepted by employees.
Summer
Previously, summer outfits consisted of khaki and black. Sometimes light colors are used.
Some employees of the Russian Guard wore the same clothes as the internal organs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. She was their prototype. In addition to the new ammunition from the old equipment, a new dress uniform for operational purposes remained.
The Lynx summer uniform is used in special units. Raid backpacks have removable modules.
Winter
Winter sets include insulated jackets, mufflers, and gloves. A hat with earflaps can be worn at temperatures below minus ten. In this case, you can lower the headphones. If they are raised, the ends of the braid should be tied. Casual and woolen caps are worn with winter clothing. Hats with visors and caps are worn straight. In this case, tilting is not allowed.
If weather conditions deteriorate, you can wear winter casual jackets with a hood. Insignia are located at the corner of the collars.
Camouflage
Particular attention is paid to camouflage uniforms. It contains the effect of infrared remission. Such clothing helps make soldiers invisible if they are under night vision.
Camouflage combines spots of four colors - black, green, brown and dark green. Previously, “Kink” was the most popular. Field kits were used in reconnaissance
. The Special Forces wears a uniform with small ragged spots in five colors.
Invisibility is achieved thanks to the light reflection of camouflage spots. They blur the image of a person, and he merges with the surrounding landscape.
Thermal underwear with an intelligent operating mode has also been developed. The kits help create a comfortable microclimate. It makes you feel as comfortable as possible. In addition, the underwear creates pressure and holds the muscles. This helps avoid fatigue during intense exercise.
Women's
The female uniform consists of a suit, T-shirt, and low shoes. In winter, a hat made of astrakhan fur, a jacket, a suit, a cap and a muffler are used. All things are usually black and white.
Basic clothing is a casual suit. It consists of a jacket and trousers, a skirt. The jacket should create a straight silhouette, with a zipper included. Shoes are used only in black.
The women's set consists of:
- Caps;
- Wool blend jacket;
- Trouser;
- Belt;
- Tie;
- Tie clips.
Front door
The dress uniform should be used at official events, parades, on holidays, and when receiving state awards. The dress uniform in the summer can be a white shirt, a gray jacket, blue trousers, a tie, and low shoes.
In winter, it is permissible to wear a winter jacket, a hat made of astrakhan fur, a jacket, woolen trousers, a tie and a muffler.
Goodbye police
Probably the most pressing issue about uniforms for the Russian Guard is related to private security. Previously, she was part of the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and inherited a police uniform from the department. Private security officers not only protect real estate, but also assist the police in patrolling the streets and detaining offenders (however, the National Guard officers do not draw up protocols). Today it is impossible to distinguish a police patrol squad from a private security patrol: both the uniform and coloring of their vehicles are the same.
Photo: Alexey Steinert
A new everyday form of private security should solve this problem. The samples presented at the presentation are generally similar to the clothing of law enforcement officers, but they also have characteristic differences: the color of the prototype uniforms is not blue, like that of the Ministry of Internal Affairs officers, but gray. Outerwear - winter jackets and windbreakers - have not only the usual side pockets, but also chest and even sleeve pockets. Moreover, all fasteners are made with zippers.
“Zippers and various small bells and whistles are not only convenient, but also look stylish and laconic. The only thing that, in my opinion, is missing is clearer shapes and contours of the shoulders. This is not necessary on field uniforms or winter jackets; it looks good anyway. But I would make the contours of formal and casual uniforms, as well as shirts and women’s skirts, more rigid. A person in such clothes would look more stately,” says fashion designer and costume designer Yulia Dalakyan, who got acquainted with the exhibition.
According to the professional, instead of a gray color in the uniform of the Russian Guard, it would be possible to use a deep dark blue color, which would look impressive and noble. Red additions (for example, a lady's uniform neckerchief) would also shine brighter on it.
Many prototypes of both demi-season and winter clothing for fighters of the Russian Guard have hoods; the developers especially emphasize that this form protects well not only from wind, but also from precipitation. Water is repelled from the surface of the clothing, and it does not get wet. Sweat, on the contrary, accumulates in a special membrane, after which it is removed outside.
Judging by the models presented by the manufacturers, the winter uniform for the department's soldiers includes insulated jackets (including leather ones), mufflers, gloves, ankle boots, casual suits, and underwear - vests and T-shirts. It is planned to dress senior officers in astrakhan hats with a visor, lower ranks in ear flaps, and female military personnel in pillbox hats. The demi-season version of the uniform differs in that windbreakers are offered instead of winter jackets, and caps are used as headdresses.
“Expressive accents could be made on hats and belts. However, we see a rather conservative approach - using broadtail and tsigeika. Of course, everyone was used to them in police uniforms - and the developers, apparently, wanted to preserve this tradition in the new clothes. But how correct is this? For example, astrakhan fur greatly increases one’s age, while the shorttail is the opposite... And this is despite the huge selection of furs that are available to manufacturers today,” Yulia comments on what she saw to Lente.ru.
As for the summer casual clothing of the department's soldiers, presented at the show, many prototypes differ from the police uniform only in color and stripes.
Features of the new uniform for the Russian Guard
It should be noted that uniforms and equipment were developed taking into account the multitasking of the law enforcement department. As part of the demonstration, the following uniform options were presented:
- winter and summer clothing sets;
- uniform for everyday wear;
- equipment for military special forces and intelligence units;
- equipment and uniforms for riot police and special forces.
In addition, samples of dress uniforms were demonstrated for military personnel of the 2nd ODON Regiment, which traditionally displays the crew during the parade on Red Square.
New equipment samples
The camouflage uniform with the effect of infrared remission deserves special attention. In particular, such equipment makes fighters invisible if they fall within the range of night vision sights. Invisibility is ensured by different intensities of light reflection of camouflage spots, which “smear” a person’s silhouette, as if merging it with the surrounding landscape.
An interesting development is thermal underwear with an intelligent operating mode. Such kits create a comfortable microclimate, allowing military personnel to feel comfortable with temperature changes in the range of −20/+20 degrees. In addition, such underwear creates compression pressure and supports muscles, allowing you to avoid overwork during intense exercise.
Private security form
Employees of private security units receive camouflage uniforms made using the latest technologies and modern developments. Employees of this department work around the clock, so the uniform must satisfy any weather conditions.
In addition, private security officers will receive fur-lined jackets, waterproof windbreakers and sweaters made of natural wool.
Security and cargo escort units
The cargo security service is also part of the structure of the Russian Guard, so when developing new models of field and everyday uniforms, the employees of this department were also not forgotten. In particular, summer clothing for men and women includes the following elements:
- headdress: cap or cap;
- uniform shirt;
- outerwear set:
- jacket and trousers;
- boots.
The winter uniform includes warm overalls and a peacoat, mittens, a scarf-muffler and a sheep's wool hat. Please note that each unit involved in cargo security retains its own insignia: chevrons, cockades, emblems, etc.
Differences between the new and old form
If we consider the situation as a whole, then previously military personnel wore two types of uniforms: black and “Digital” class camouflage, which was considered a combined arms uniform. As mentioned above, such uniforms were unified and therefore were used for everyday wear, field training and as a dress uniform.
They'll change their clothes in a couple of years
Immediately after the show, some media outlets rushed to declare that the Russian Guard had already acquired a new uniform. In fact, this is not the case yet. Despite the fact that the leadership of the department, headed by its director Viktor Zolotov, was generally satisfied with the presentation, the products presented at it still have a long way to go in strength testing.
“After we carry out the tests, the products must be tested and only then go on supply. The tests will be tough, in different climatic conditions,” Zolotov noted.
Photo: Mikhail Voskresensky / RIA Novosti
The new uniform of the Russian Guard, according to the department, must meet a number of strict criteria. Among them are convenience, comfort and versatility. Of course, the recognition of clothing cannot be discounted. The problem is that uniform suppliers must not only satisfy all departmental requirements, but also do so within very strict financial limits. According to Viktor Zolotov, the price component when choosing a uniform for the department’s fighters will be important. What will come of this will become clear by 2018. According to the director of the Russian Guard, by this time the department plans to finally decide what to dress its employees in.
