The Russian Army are all-protected by Ratnik infantry gear, thousands of which they received recently, a month ahead of schedule.
Manufacturer Central Research Institute for Precision Machine-Building (TsNIITochMash) announced Thursday that they handed over nearly 18,000 Ratnik combat outfits to the military.
Ratnik is an infantry combat system, developed as a “future soldier” concept. It includes dozens of pieces of equipment, comprising firearms, body armor, optical, communication and navigation devices, life support and power supply systems, and exoskeleton. It also includes a self-contained heater, a backpack, an individual water filter, a gas mask and a medical kit.
The Ratnik vest’s effective protection area is one of the world’s largest. Its plates can stand ten sniper rifle shots fired at a distance of 10m. The reinforced configuration of the Ratnik vest provides extra lateral protection and anti-shrapnel protection for the shoulders, hands and groin. The Ratnik’s overalls protect the whole body from the impact of bomb fragments.
The second-generation Ratnik combat gear have been supplied to the ground and airborne troops as well as the Marines since 2016. They consists of armored clothing and combat equipment, small arms, and targeting and reconnaissance gadgets.