Defense Technologies

Russia’s next-generation ‘Centurion’ combat suit of the future

Russia developed next-generation future combat suits for soldiers. The suit can withstand the bullet from a .50 caliber machine gun. According to state-run media Russia Beyond.

TSNIITOCHMASH (the Central Research Institute for Precision Machine Building) part of Rostec state corporation (develop, produce and export advanced technologies) with other weapon development companies and research institutes, “have begun research work to create combat equipment for the soldiers of the future. Development is planned to replace third-generation Sotnik gear.”

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By Rostech, they wanted to replace the Ratnik-2 (“Warrior”) second-generation soldier combat suit with Sotnik-3 (“Centurion”) third-generation soldier combat suit of the future.

“Moscow plans to develop and introduce next-generation Infantry Combat System (ICS) to further advance this high-technology feature of the modern and future Russian soldier”, The Jamestown Foundation (Washington-based institute for research and analysis). “The current Ratnik (” Warrior”) ICS will be replaced by 2025, with the new Sotnik (“Centurion”) modernized version, marking a further advance for the Russian military toward futuristic network-enabled warfare capabilities.” 

Sotnik next-generation combat suit capabilities:

The Sotnik ‘combat suit of the future’ is set to exceed all of all the existing body armor plates. 

The combat suit is made of Russia’s new polyethylene fiber. It means that it will be able to withstand a .50BMG direct shot. The .50 BMG bullet is able to penetrate a light armored vehicle up to 2 kilometers away. So if a soldier wears this suit, he can survive such a powerful strike. 

Russia develops next-generation ‘Centurion’ combat suit of the future
Ratnik-3 next-generation infantry combat systems (Source: edgetime.ru)

“The gear will not restrict movement and will allow you to take the extra weight necessary to perform a special mission.” the state corporation said. 

Rostec’s combat suit of the future will be able to stop a bullet flying at the speed of up to 670 meters per second. 

The ‘Centurion’ will also be able to absorb the shock pulse of the bullet hit with the armor, which can cause serious damage to internal organs even without breaking through the protection. “We expect to get such an effect through the use of special shock-absorbing components”, the corporation’s press service stated. 

The armor also includes an active titanium exoskeleton with mini-electric motors. Specialists at Rostec are working on the power source for the new exoskeleton. State media ‘Russia Beyond’ said. 

Bekhan Ozdoev, the director of the Rostec weapons complex said, the ‘Centurion’ will be lighter, more ergonomic, more reliable, and more technologically advanced than the ‘Ratnik’. The new equipment can receive robotic additions, as well as elements of artificial intelligence.

“By the end of 2020, Rostec had delivered more than 300,000 second-generation Ratnik combat gear outfits”, According to Rostec. “currently the state corporation is developing the third generation Sotnik outfit, several of its elements are already undergoing preliminary tests.” 

Sotnik on its way to replace Ratnik:

Sotnik ‘Centurion’ the next-generation exoskeleton body armor will replace the older Ratnik ‘Warrior’ combat suit. 

The Ratnik-2 weighs between 40-50 lbs and it was made from passive carbon fiber. The new armor has a weight between 16 to 35 lbs (no more than 20 kg) and is made from new polyethylene fiber. It is expected to be the world’s lightest bulletproof armor. 

In Ratnik body armor, the soldier is covered with infrared-blocking material from head to toe. It helps the soldier to go completely undetected in infrared search and track systems. 

The Sotnik next-generation ‘Centurion’ combat suit of the future is expected to replace Ratnik’s (the Warrior) old body armor by 2025.

Rostec:

Rostec State Corporation is a Russian corporation that was established in 2007. It facilitates the development, production, and export of high-tech industrial products designed for civilian and military applications.

The corporation comprises over 700 organizations that are currently part of 11 holding companies operating in the military-industrial complex and 3 holding companies working in the civilian industry, as well as 80 directly managed organizations. 

In 2016, the consolidated revenue of Rostec amounted to 1 trillion 266 billion rubles. According to Rostec, the main objective of the corporation is to ensure that Russia has a technological advantage in highly competitive global markets. 

Rostec’s key objectives include the introduction of a new techno-economic paradigm and the digitalization of the Russian economy.

Analysis:

After analyzing the reports and articles published by Russian media, it looks like Russia is more concerned about its future combat capabilities and making continuous efforts to modernize its armed forces. 

It is a great step forward to develop such an advanced combat suit for its soldiers. It helps a lot of its armed forces to enhance their operational efficiency and increase battlefield awareness and the chance of survival when doing war operations.

Sources:

  1. Article published in Russia Beyond
  2. Information provided by Rostec
  3. Information provided by Jamestown Foundation
  4. Article published in The Defense Post
  5. Article published in the Popular Mechanics
  6. Article published in Futurism
  7. Article published in Military Times

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