"Ratnik-1"
Conventionally, the “Ratnik” equipment is five subsystems assembled into one whole: the destruction subsystem, which includes small arms; protection subsystem - all armor; life support subsystem - headphones, filter, clock, flashlights, etc.; control subsystem - optical-electronic aiming and reconnaissance means; power supply subsystem.
"Warrior" in detail
"Warrior" in detail
09 October '16
“Ratnik” is a complex of combat equipment for a serviceman, consisting of systems for destruction, protection, control, life and energy support. The first pre-production Ratnik kits began to arrive in the Russian Armed Forces in 2014, and in May last year, Russian troops received mass-produced equipment.
The complex is an expanded set of uniforms, supplemented with elements and accessories designed to protect the soldier and increase his combat effectiveness. The kit includes a body armor of 5–6 protection class, a protective helmet, transport vests for ammunition and accessories, special shoes, knee pads, elbow pads, a backpack, a cape, a sleeping bag and other elements. In addition, the equipment includes the serviceman’s personal weapons (cold steel and firearms), as well as a set of compact technical reconnaissance, communications and navigation devices, optical, infrared and laser devices, video devices, a “friend or foe” identification system and much more. The equipment has several versions for various military specialties.
The new equipment was developed by the Central Research Institute of Precision Engineering (JSC TsNIITOCHMASH), and more than fifty enterprises and organizations took part in its creation. The program to create new equipment has become one of the most large-scale modernization projects of the Russian army.
The photo collection contains photographs of equipment supplied to ground units of the Russian Armed Forces.
Infographics about “Ratnik” combat equipment aif.ru
Russian soldiers in “Ratnik” equipment Defense.ru
The AK-12 assault rifle is the main weapon of Ratnik. The A-545 assault rifle, developed at the plant named after. Dyagtereva. Now the new assault rifles are undergoing comparative tests Defense.ru
Unlike its predecessors, the AK-12 is equipped with a telescopic stock and an ergonomic pistol grip Defense.ru
The A-545 assault rifle (AEK-971) is the main competitor of the AK-12 lenta.ru
Universal helmet for all branches and types of troops Defense.ru
The design of the helmet allows for the attachment of additional devices popmech.ru
The body armor weighs 7.5 kg and “resists” a direct hit from an SVD rifle with a bullet with an armor-piercing core from ten meters. Its assault version provides protection for the shoulders and groin area Defense.ru
Universal pouch with MOLLE fastening system Defense.ru
Anti-fragmentation safety glasses Defense.ru
Transport modular vest. This option is designed for marksmen and has pockets for under-barrel and hand grenades Defense.ru
Patrol backpack with a capacity of 40 liters Defense.ru
Knee-elbow protection kit Defense.ru
Double-sided demi-season camouflage kit in spring and autumn colors Defense.ru
Shelter. Can be used as a tent, awning or stretcher for transporting the wounded Defense.ru
Individual filter for water purification. Resource – 15 l Defense.ru
Helmet-mounted flashlight with several operating modes Defense.ru
Shooting headphones with active noise reduction system Defense.ru
Wristwatch with self-winding function. They exist in two versions: for “regular” units and for marines. They are distinguished by their water resistance: “regular” ones “hold” a depth of up to 20 m, the version for the Marine Corps – up to 100 m Defense.ru
Multifunctional knife. It contains saws for wood and metal, a screwdriver, pliers and an awl Defense.ru
Another option for a multifunctional folding knife, which can be included in the “Ratnik” combat equipment vpk.name
The main bladed weapon is a bayonet-knife of the “Bumblebee” brand topwar.ru
“A shovel is a soldier’s friend” Defense.ru
Raid backpack. The volume is 80 l with the possibility of increasing to 100 l Defense.ru
The control systems of the Ratnik equipment include the Strelets reconnaissance, control and communications complex Defense.ru
Energy supply systems (batteries, wires, etc.) are distributed among various elements of equipment Defense.ru
Commander's personal tablet computer designed to solve problems of control and orientation of the tactical command staff vitalykuzmin.net
"Ratnik-2"
At the IDEX-2019 arms exhibition, which will be held in the United Arab Emirates, a new Russian set of combat equipment “Ratnik-2” is planned to be shown. The creators claim that such armor allows a fighter to survive even after being hit by armor-piercing sniper bullets from a distance of 10 meters.
As stated by Viktor Kladov, director for international cooperation at the Rostec state corporation, this equipment, which was developed at TsNIITOCHMASH, was created using special technology, which involves the presence of special armor panels placed in the body armor. It is capable of withstanding sniper armor-piercing incendiary bullets fired from the SVD rifle. After such a load, the panel does not even deform on the reverse side, thereby providing the fighter with protection from concussion injuries.
The Ratnik-2 armored helmet also demonstrates a high level of protection. Having a fairly light weight (1 kilogram), it protects the soldier’s head from shrapnel, mines and grenades. It is believed that a fighter wearing such equipment will be able to act more effectively and perform the most difficult tasks without fear of receiving mortal wounds.
Today the troops use second generation equipment. The press service noted that based on the results of combat use, not a single penetration of armor protection was recorded.
In the near future, Ratnik-2 will include additional elements being developed for the next generation of kits. These include medical sensors, an electronic visor that allows you to shoot at the enemy from around a corner, and mine-resistant boots.
All about the “Ratnik” combat equipment
The "Ratnik" combat equipment for servicemen is one of the largest modernization projects of the Russian army. As applied to this program, the concept of equipment is so broad and extensive that all its elements are almost impossible to describe in one article or depict in one photograph.
The commander's personal computer is protected from shock, dust and water. It is equipped with a resistive screen that is insensitive to moisture and a blued steel stylus. The commander can track the location of all the soldiers of his unit on a satellite map, see their status (wounded or not) and send text messages, receive photo and video images of targets and indicate new targets on the map.
For ordinary soldiers who have been receiving the first Ratnik kits since the end of 2014, this is, first of all, a comfortable uniform made of modern fabrics with many elements for the summer, winter and demi-season periods, lightweight composite protection covering up to 90% of the body, a lightweight head that fits well helmet.
For visitors to exhibitions, “Ratnik” is an image of a soldier of the future, hung with state-of-the-art computer equipment, seeing through walls and shooting from around corners using a helmet-mounted monitor.
70 elements In total, the equipment includes more than 70 elements that are interconnected and complement each other structurally and functionally.
To understand what the combat equipment of a Russian military personnel is like today, we conducted a series of interviews. Specialists from the main developer of the program, OJSC TsNIITOCHMASH (part of the Rostec state corporation), told us about the main elements of the “Ratnik” kit. Soldiers from a reconnaissance company of one of the military units where the tests took place shared their impressions of the new equipment with us. We discussed the electronic content of the equipment of the “soldier of the future” with the general designer of Radioavionics OJSC Alexander Kaplin.
Fashion for survival A soldier's combat equipment set is a complex of five systems integrated into each other: defeat, protection, control, life support and energy supply. That is, the “Ratnik” program covers almost everything that a soldier needs on the battlefield: from shoes and clothing to weapons, medicine, aiming, surveillance, communications, guidance and target designation of artillery and aviation.
The design of the helmet allows for the attachment of additional devices. The photo shows a helmet-mounted monitor produced by JSC Central Research Institute Cyclone.
An observation device from the same developer, in which images from a thermal imager and a night vision device are combined into one picture. These products are candidates for a place in the “Ratnik” program.
The thermal imaging sight can also serve as a helmet-mounted observation device.
“We tested all sets of second-generation clothing, made forced marches of 5 and 20 km, and went through an obstacle course,” says reconnaissance platoon commander Ivan Velichko. Five scouts demonstrated for us how to navigate the obstacle course in full protective gear, one of them with a heavy machine gun in his hands. Smiling soldiers praise new clothes that always match the weather exactly, a light and comfortable helmet, safety glasses, and a multifunctional knife-tool. Impressive shoes from: breathable Gore-Tex membrane, non-slip reinforced Vibram sole, weight on par with the best trekking boots (both summer and winter models).
An anti-fragmentation armored helmet weighing only 1 kg guarantees the same level of protection as foreign analogues weighing at least 1.3 kg. An adjustable under-neck device helps fit the helmet to your head and provides additional shock absorption against impacts and debris.
A comfortable and fairly lightweight body armor with a built-in quick-release system is very easy to put on and take off, and in order to un-equip a wounded soldier, you just need to pull the pin (previously you had to remove the vest over your head or cut the straps).
The body armor from the “Ratnik” kit is equipped with ceramic-composite armor panels made from a layer of ceramic tiles and a composite substrate. Ceramics are distinguished by very high hardness with relatively low weight. The ceramic outer layer effectively breaks up the bullet, while the reinforced composite backing retains bullet fragments and ceramic fragments. As standard, the Ratnik body armor weighs just over 7 kg, which is significantly less than the weight of its predecessor. There is also an assault body armor package, in which the level of protection is increased to the maximum (sixth) class, and bulletproof protection is provided for the side zones and groin area. In this case, the weight of the body armor reaches 15 kg.
Armor protection This is what a ceramic-composite armor plate looks like after being hit by ten armor-piercing incendiary bullets from an SVD sniper rifle from a distance of 10 m. On the other hand, the same plate looks like new.
At the TsNIITOCHMASH enterprise in Klimovsk near Moscow, we were shown an assault chest armor panel developed by NPF Tekhinkom LLC and withstood ten hits of armor-piercing incendiary bullets when fired from an SVD sniper rifle from a distance of 10 m. The reverse side of the plate remained absolutely smooth, without a single bulge. This means that a soldier protected by a body armor with such panels will not receive concussion injuries and will remain combat-ready.
A little about the MFP The MFP is carried in the breast pocket, has an alphanumeric indicator and gives access to all functions of the complex through a system of context menus.
In particular, you can use it to type text messages and use a navigator. Special protective suits also deserve attention. The "Permyachka" overalls, made of special ballistic aramid fabric, can protect a soldier from shell fragments flying at speeds of up to 140 m/s with a mass of 1 g, as well as from open flames for 10 s. And the “Cowboy” kit for crew members of armored vehicles will help a tanker survive if the tank is damaged and catches fire.
The operational control panel does not have a screen and operates on the “finger-button” principle.
Everything you need is here: turning on/off KRUS, PTT, “injured” button, switching between subscribers and a hot key: its typical use is sending a photo from a rangefinder-protractor device to the commander.
Lord of Thunder The control system is that part of the “Warrior” that even today looks like science fiction, although in fact the reconnaissance, control and communications complex (KRUS) “Strelets”, included in the program, has been in service with the Russian army since 2007. At the moment, the second generation of “Sagittarius” is relevant, produced since 2011 and constantly improved.
According to the apt description of the general designer of Radioavionics OJSC, Alexander Kaplin, the Strelets KRUS is a personal computer with peripherals distributed throughout a soldier’s unloading vest. Its capabilities, like any other computer, are limited only by the assigned tasks and the imagination of the developers. The complex guarantees the solution of all information problems that a serviceman may encounter.
A secure high-speed radio channel provides voice radio communications and data transmission. Data can mean text messages (preset and custom), photographs and videos, and, of course, geographic coordinates. The satellite navigation system virtually eliminates the possibility for a soldier to get lost, and for the commander to lose sight of a soldier.
On the commander's personal computer screen, the location of all fighters is displayed on a map of the area and updated in real time. The high update frequency (once per second), made possible thanks to a special high-speed radio channel, distinguishes the Strelets KRUS from its analogues that use standard radio stations for data transmission. In them, the update frequency can reach 10-30 seconds, since information about all fighters of the unit is transmitted via communication channels with low or medium data transfer rates.
The commander can instantly send a soldier to the desired point by simply pointing it with a stylus on the map. Moreover, the fighter will receive not just the coordinates of his destination, but a complex route. KRUS will tell the soldier the way using an arrow on the screen, and will help him avoid minefields and dangerous zones.
One of the modifications of the Sagittarius includes a rangefinder and goniometer device. It is enough for the gunner to simply see the target: based on the readings of the laser range finder and target elevation meter, as well as its own coordinates, KRUS will instantly calculate the coordinates of the target, and at the same time send its photo to the commander. All that remains is to give the command to open artillery fire or launch an air strike.
Of course, the Strelets is compatible with various electro-optical sights and helmet-mounted monitors that allow you to shoot from behind cover. This spectacular trick is proudly demonstrated at exhibitions by the developers of Felin and Gladius, the French and German analogues of Ratnik. However, Alexander Kaplin is convinced that transmitting video information in combat is not nearly as important as ensuring a good balance between weight and size characteristics, security and operating time without recharging when solving basic, that is, the most common combat missions.
A modern smartphone can hardly survive a day without a power outlet in standby mode. KRUS "Sagittarius" operates for 12 hours on one battery (and 24 hours on two) in continuous voice communication and data transmission mode. The complex operates at temperatures from minus 40 to plus 60 °C, and can withstand severe impacts, immersion in water and dirt.
“A special unit of Radioavionics is engaged in training and collecting information in the troops, accompanies devices during exercises and wherever possible,” says Alexander Yuryevich. — Practice shows that situations often arise in life that are simply impossible to predict. Therefore, the requirements of the Ministry of Defense to protect equipment are not at all far-fetched.” Moreover, if the first KRUS backpack samples, bristling with antennas, were a complete headache for a soldier, then the soldier practically does not notice the load from placing a modern complex on the Ratnik transport vest.
From the Arctic to the tropics Ratnik combat equipment sets are already being distributed to military units, but the program is still far from completed. Currently, the best samples of small arms, sighting devices and observation devices, including thermal imagers, night vision devices, helmet-mounted cameras and monitors, are competing to be included in the kit. The Kalashnikov concern's AK103−3 and AK-12 assault rifles are vying for inclusion in the "Warrior" (we wrote in detail about the new generation AK in May 2012), as well as weapons with balanced automatics developed by the Degtyarev plant. Many development enterprises are creating promising products with an eye on the third and even fourth generation of Ratnik.
The new Kalash The weapon of the Kalashnikov concern (part of the Rostec state corporation) is equipped with a folding telescopic buttstock, adjustable to the anatomical features and equipment of the fighter, Picatinny rails on the receiver cover and a forend for attaching sighting devices.
In the photo: a thermal imaging sight, a collimator sight, a 2x magnifier, a laser target designator and a transparent magazine that makes it easier to count the remaining cartridges. General Director of OJSC TsNIITOCHMASH Dmitry Semizorov calls one of the main advantages of the Ratnik equipment its flexibility and versatility: “The modular principle of constructing elements allows for the recruitment of various units depending on the military specialty and combat missions. Having extensive experience in the development of combat equipment for military personnel, we have created a kit that functions equally effectively both in the extreme temperature conditions of the Arctic and in the hot tropics.”
Basic set of KRUS “Strelets” The hobby of JSC Radioavionics is the development of modifications of the KRUS “Strelets” for various military specialties and combat missions. The kits are always in the unloading vest in an assembled state, and the fighter is freed from the need to assemble the system for individual missions, as well as to store the KRUS components separately.
1. An active noise-canceling headset protects the soldier's hearing from the roar of gunfire, but at the same time amplifies quiet sounds
2. The operational control panel is located on the fighter’s chest in an open position and gives instant access to the main functions of the KRUS. The remote control is built on the finger-button principle and is controlled by touch. There is a radio push-to-talk button, a “wounded” button, a subscriber switching button, a KRUS on/off button and a programmable hot key
3. Satellite navigation system
4. Primary power supply container, also known as the KRUS battery. To increase operating time without recharging, two or more batteries can be connected to the system at the same time. In the latest modifications of the complex, the container contains a built-in charger
5. The hardware container contains all the KRUS computer hardware. As standard, it is located in the unloading vest on the fighter’s left side. The computer can operate at temperatures from -40 to +60°C, and is reliably protected from water, dirt and shocks
6. Cables for connecting additional devices, in particular a rangefinder and goniometer device
7. The multifunctional remote control gives access to all KRUS functions through the context menus of the alphanumeric indicator. The remote control buttons are large enough to be pressed comfortably with gloves on.
8. Individual radio communication module
Sees both day and night
More than 70 percent of the Army personnel have already received these kits. As the information support group of the Russian Ground Forces reported, such modern “armor” made it possible to double the combat capabilities of soldiers.
"Ratnik-2" began to enter serial service with the Russian army in 2022.
Over the course of several years, it has proven its effectiveness. Our soldiers have already tested this equipment for the soldiers of the future both in the harsh conditions of the Arctic and in the hot sands of Syria. Everywhere the combat equipment showed its best side.
Of course, as with any new uniform, the Russian military identifies certain flaws in the “Warrior,” but equipment manufacturers, together with the military, are trying to quickly eliminate all the shortcomings.
For example, during the modifications it was possible to reduce the weight of the kit to 24 kg, which allowed military personnel to be more mobile on the battlefield. Work to improve the Ratnik combat equipment is ongoing.
The military cites the addition of an sighting system that can operate both day and night, as well as a unified optical and thermal imaging sight, as an undoubted advantage.
If we talk about the “soldier of the future” kit as a whole, then “Ratnik” is a modular system consisting of 10 different subsystems, which can change depending on the combat situation and climatic conditions.
The latest small arms were specially created for this equipment, for example, AK-12 and AEK assault rifles, and special sniper systems.
The kit includes more than 40 elements, including personal armor protection systems, communications, target designation and navigation equipment
“Ratnik” includes protection kits, such as a bulletproof vest that can withstand a shot from a sniper rifle at close range and an armored helmet that reliably protects from shrapnel, the latest communications equipment.
“Ratnik” even includes a headset with active noise cancellation, which muffles the roar of gunfire, but at the same time amplifies quiet sounds.
The “brain” of the equipment is the “Sagittarius” control, reconnaissance and communications complex built into it. It can operate for 12 hours on one battery in continuous connection mode at temperatures from minus 40 to plus 60 degrees.
Thanks to him, the fighter will not be able to get lost during the transition or get lost on the battlefield. To do this, the soldier only needs to press a button, and the information is immediately transmitted to the device.
The commander, using a small tablet protected from shock, dust and water, can track the location of all the soldiers of his unit on a satellite map and, in addition, understand whether the soldier is currently wounded or not. The location of all fighters is updated in real time.
Also, using the tablet, the commander is able to send text messages, receive photos or videos of an object, and indicate new targets on the map. It is equipped with electronic sights and helmet-mounted monitors, which allows the fighter to shoot from behind cover.
Now active work is underway to create “Ratnik-3”. Certain elements of this costume have already been demonstrated at various exhibitions and have aroused interest among both Russian and Western experts.
It will feature a helmet with an electronic visor, which will help guide the weapon along a laser beam. A new item will also be a combat exoskeleton, the autonomy of which will be increased to 24 hours.
It will help a fighter move at speeds of up to 20 km/h and carry up to 100 kg of ammunition and equipment, and even fire a machine gun with one hand. The military will be able to use a pocket drone for reconnaissance, capable of conducting surveillance within a kilometer radius.
Such a drone can not only observe the enemy, but also find a target, as well as fly around a given square or designated point. In addition, “Ratnik-3” will feature mine-resistant shoes and a special chameleon cape, which, like the invisibility cloak from fairy tales, will allow the fighter to blend into the terrain and remain unnoticed by the enemy.
Infographics "RG"/Leonid Kuleshov/Anton Perepletchikov
