In connection with the current state program for the rearmament of the Russian army, in recent months there has been a large number of news about the plans of the Ministry of Defense. At the same time, almost all such messages were accompanied by questions like "when will we learn not only about the plans, but also about their implementation?" Recently, information has been received from official sources that allows us to hope for the imminent appearance of optimistic news about the start of mass production of new systems. Such optimistic news is associated with two sensational projects: a complex of combat equipment for a soldier (BES) "Ratnik" and an ORSIS T-5000 sniper rifle.
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The first mentions of the development of new equipment for the "Ratnik" fighters appeared several years ago, but the set embodied in metal, textiles and plastic was presented only last year at the MAKS-2011 exhibition. Now it became known that several copies of the new BES entered the 27th separate motorized rifle brigade. According to the representative of the Ministry of Defense, Lieutenant Colonel N. Donyushkin, the servicemen of the unit began to fully operate the complex in the conditions of the Alabino training ground. The purpose of the current tests of the "warrior" is to test the characteristics of various systems and identify their shortcomings. After testing and fine-tuning the BES elements, state tests should be expected. If they are completed successfully, then it will be possible to talk about the adoption of equipment for service.
The specific composition of the "Ratnik" complex has not yet been named. Official information on this matter was limited to general wording. So, the structure of the new BPS includes means of protection of a soldier, communication and navigation equipment, the so-called. life support system; and weapons. The specific types of this or that equipment have not yet been listed in official sources, which, however, did not prevent amateurs of military affairs from trying to "identify" the elements of the BES from the photographs presented.
First of all, a characteristic fact catches the eye: "Warrior" is not a single complex made on a common basis, but several separate units and assemblies. Among other things, this can result in poor usability, because the soldier will have to spend time putting on all the pieces of equipment. Nevertheless, the BES developers did not forget about the “end user” and took a number of measures. Judging by the available photos, the "Ratnik" body armor is connected to the unloading system and pouches. Also, from the photographs, one can conclude about the modular design of body armor. The main vest can be attached to the groin and shoulder guards, as well as a separate piece to protect the fighter's neck. This approach to the creation of soldiers' protective equipment is not something new, but its use in a promising domestic power plant is undoubtedly interesting and promising.
The second element of armor protection in the "Warrior" is a helmet. Users of the Power of Russia Internet forum (aka Otvaga2004) recognized it as 6B7-1MM. According to the trends of recent years, the metal structure of this protective headgear is covered on top with a camouflage fabric cover to match the color of other uniforms. In the front of the helmet there is a mount for a night vision device and other similar equipment. It is noteworthy that the unused mount can be covered with the corresponding part of the fabric cover. Along with the helmet, the fighters in the photographs wear oversized anti-splinter goggles. It is noteworthy that the cover for them, which is necessary in some cases, including in battle, is also carried on the helmet, being pressed against it by the goggle belt. Finally, the "head" part of the BES includes a headset with active headphones and a microphone for communication with the soldiers of their unit. There is no information regarding the type of radio station to which the headset is connected.
As a matter of fact, the question is not only the type of radio wearable by the fighter. According to Donyushkin, BES "Ratnik", together with a walkie-talkie, includes navigation, identification and information processing facilities. The available photos lack any moments and "clues" by which it would be possible to determine the specific type of one or another element of the BES electronics, or even at least its composition. Most likely, each soldier, together with the "Ratnik", will receive a radio station with a short range for communication with his unit, a GLONASS / GPS navigator and, probably, some kind of computing device. Perhaps the squad commanders will even rely on a protected laptop with the appropriate set of software. However, this is only a version built on logic and observation of overseas outfit projects. Light protection, designed to prevent minor but unpleasant injuries, also fits into this logic. Over the standard camouflage uniforms, the fighters in the photo wear knee pads and elbow pads made of plastic. It looks like a trifle. But in practice, this little detail will help you avoid a lot of bad situations.
As for the weapons that will be included in the equipment complex, it remains only to build versions on this matter. The fact is that the program for the creation of new small arms for the Russian army is going on separately and therefore it is unlikely that the modernized SVD rifle and the Kalashnikov assault rifle, so-called. the hundredth series is guaranteed to become part of the Ratnik complex. However, even in this form, the weapons of the fighters in the photo are of some interest. So, on the updated Dragunov sniper rifle, a new adjustable butt was installed. Judging by its appearance, the shooter can adjust for himself both the length of this unit and the height of the cushion under the cheek. And this is all done with the help of your own butt design details. For a number of reasons, such ergonomic developments have not yet entered our army in large numbers. Also worth noting is the PT3 rifle scope and its attachment system. Unlike the old PSO-1, it is not installed on the side mount of the rifle, but on the Picatinny rail located on the receiver cover. In the hands of a submachine gunner, the available photographs show, presumably, an AK-107 assault rifle with balanced mechanics. The receiver cover of this machine is also equipped with a Picatinny rail, on which the Krechet collimator sight is installed. The machine shop is also interesting. From its large thickness, it can be concluded that the troops are testing a new four-row magazine for 60 rounds. The existence of such developments first became known a little over a year ago.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister D. Rogozin on September 24 made a reservation about some small arms projects developed by private enterprises. According to the official, one type of a new pistol and two sniper rifles are currently being tested by the state. There is no exact information yet regarding the type of the mentioned pistol. Probably, this is "Swift", which caused a wave of discussions at one time. But with regard to sniper rifles, data has already appeared. Military journalist D. Mokrushin in his blog shared the good news regarding these rifles. In a conversation with a journalist, a representative of the ORSIS plant said that their T-5000 rifle is already under state trials. Moreover, two options are presented at once, chambered for.308 Win (7, 62x51 mm NATO) and.338 Lapua Magnum (8, 6x70 mm). According to reports, the rifles are being tested in conjunction with optical sights and night vision devices of domestic production, produced by the company "Daedalus".
Unfortunately, there is even less information regarding the course or timing of testing the T-5000 sniper rifles than about the Ratnik. Therefore, the results of state tests can only be guessed at. Of course, I would like the domestic product to go to the troops and “protect” Russian snipers from unnecessary spending on foreign weapons. At the same time, the wishes of the Ministry of Defense regarding the required sniper rifle are still unknown. At the same time, the very fact of state tests can transparently hint at the already completed development of requirements. Nevertheless, all information about the state tests of the T-5000 has so far been limited to statements by two officials, from the government and the company "ORSIS".
Fresh news regarding the testing of new weapons and combat equipment looks quite optimistic. Including for the reason that, unlike the news of the plans, they imply bringing the programs, at least to the stage of testing in practice. Of course, some time will have to pass between tests and full deliveries and some effort will be expended. Nevertheless, the creation of new combat equipment for the soldier and the renewal of the nomenclature of small arms are well worth the cost and expectations.
