Russian Ground Forces: News #1

GarryB wrote:

Russia May Soon Adopt ‘Future Soldier’ Gear – Rogozin

KOVROV, June 4 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian version of “future soldier” gear could be put into service with the armed forces in the near future, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Tuesday.

Rogozin, who visited the privately owned Degtyarev small arms plant in central Russia, said the tests of domestically designed Ratnik (Warrior) gear had been completed.

“There are some issues with small arms that should be addressed in the near future, and after that the gear will be adopted by the army,” Rogozin said.

Ratnik comprises more than 40 components, including firearms, body armor and optical, communication and navigation devices, as well as life support and power supply systems, and even knee and elbow pads. The equipment can be used by regular infantry, rocket launcher operators, machine gunners, drivers and scouts.

Many other nations have similar future soldier equipment programs in progress, including the U.S. Land Warrior, Germany's IdZ, Britain's FIST, Spain's COMFUT, Sweden's IMESS and France's FELIN.

Rogozin stressed that the Russian gear would be superior in many ways to comparable NATO equipment.

“And we stand by our words,” he said.

source: http://en.rian.ru/military_news/20130604/181505784/Russia-May-Soon-Adopt-Future-Soldier-Gear--Rogozin.html

So the kit is ready to go... just waiting on the new small arms... AK12SN no doubt or a competitor.

GarryB wrote:

I am not really interested in the AK-12 as I find it just a tacticooled variant of an AK-74M (well, maybe more ergonomic) and I figured that just getting the attachments for the AK-74M would be better for price wise.

The AK12 is not a tacticool Ak-74... they took the AK-74 as the base and looked at every criticism leveled at the design and tried to make the best possible AK-74 there could be without a fundamental change.

It is very much the same as the Ak12 is to AK-74 what the T-90AM is to the T-90M, the Su-35S is to the Su-27P, the Mig-35S is to the Mig-29C.

It is all the nice comfortable simple easy to use of western design with improved accuracy and the ability to add bits easily if you want to.

I especially like the ability to use western rifle grenades... this gun is just very nice, but without a new gas operation method it will only be new materials and features that add a little to the cost.

In comparison a balanced recoil mechanism rifle could fail in combat because when you cleaned it the night before in the cold and dark while you were hungry and tired and didn't align this bit with that bit when you put them back in the rifle.

Add modularity and multi calibre performance in the AK12SN model and I think I have found a rifle I like even more than the ADS... and the ADS looks very cool.

In fact it is better than western designs... most of which are designed for right handers. This rifle can be adapted for use by left and right handed people.

BTW it should be mentioned that many of the prototypes for the AK had a more ergonomic design with the cocking handle on the left and other such features but they were dropped for various reasons.

GarryB wrote:

I think the rifle grenades are mostly valueless.

Well, the rifle is compatible with them... it is up to the user as to whether they bother with them or not as the modification to make them compatible doesn't really change the design very much nor impact the use of the rifle.

Easier and more comfortable to use, more accurate, easy to add a huge range of existing western and new Russian equipment to... what more could you want?

The added advantage is that new Russian kit will fit Russian and western weapons without modification or adaption (ie without additional cost) which means Russian makers suddenly have a much larger potential market.

Who is sick of paying a grand for a red dot sight?

TR1 wrote:Looks like Kamaz 63969:

http://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/5646/94845085.cd/0_9b087_cc47fd6a_XL.jpg.jpg

As part of development work under the names "Buttercup", "Blue" and "Armata", a new tank for the Russian army. In its combat characteristics and capabilities it will exceed both existing and newly developed more military equipment.

"The new tank, we create integral to their fighting qualities and capabilities will exceed all available today as well as those developments that we know are under way in the modern armies of the world," - Borisov said to journalists on Thursday.

The same, he said, can be said about the term aviation system, other types of weapons that are created for the Armed Forces.

The deputy minister said, when it comes to the completion of development work on the development of advanced models of armored vehicles, warships, aircraft, we can safely say that they are in performance, at least not inferior to those requirements that apply to similar Western models.

"And, at times, above, otherwise there is no point in developing them," - said Borisov. He noted that the name of the development work, in particular, "Buttercup", "Blue", "Armata" little to say ignorant person

Viktor wrote:Russian Defense Ministry has received the latest batch of helicopters-jammers

http://sdelanounas.ru/blogs/35673/