Russian Ground Forces: News #1

Vladimir Chirkin: Warrior (Future Combat Kit: Ratnik) has shown good results in tests

"Warrior" ... will provide in the near future great kits for soldiers, "- said in an interview Chirkin" Echo of Moscow ", reports RIA "Novosti" .

He said that in the outfit provides about 40 items ranging from clothing and equipment, and the last weapon, optics, communications, navigation, identification systems, personal protection, life and energy.

"I will say that, for example, I liked it. At the recently concluded exercise "Kavkaz-2012" was held development troop operation set ", - said the commander in chief.

(Google Translate)

Rest of the article here http://vz.ru/news/2012/9/29/600354.html



Good news

Good news, I hope units will soon start receiving completes.

Is the russian MIC technologically advanced enough to design an equivalent to the FELIN?

Is the russian MIC technologically advanced enough to design an equivalent to the FELIN?

They are pretty strong in some areas, but have some weaknesses.

There is no perfect future soldier system and each system will have its strengths and weaknesses.

The previous Russian systems were too heavy for instance, but as components are updated and miniaturised and made multifunction so they can replace several parts of the older kit they get better and better as well as smaller and lighter.

Night vision equipment would have been a problem 10 years ago, but now it will be pretty state of the art.

The flak vest should be pretty good too.

The electronics are probably the area with the most potential for improvement but these are improving as well.

They looked carefully at FELIN, but decided that in 2-3 years time they should be able to make all the components themselves either as good as or better... with the obvious advantage of it being domestically made.

On October 3, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev visited the Central Research Institute for Precision Machine Building TSNIITOCHMASH, a state-owned arms maker, where he inspected an experimental military equipment set Ratnik-2 (Warrior) and took part in a firearms test.

Strange looking suppressor on the PKM(?)directly in front of Medvedev.

Yes, it includes a flash hider/recoil booster.

With a normal suppressor the long tube with lots of internal volume for the gas behind the bullet to expand and cool there is no need for a flash hider.

Muzzle flash is simply unburnt powder that is still burning as it is blasted out the muzzle of the weapon.

In the case of suppressors on fully automatic weapons however with long bursts sometimes some of the powder makes it out the front still burning so this device on the end of the suppressor will reduce the flash effect and direct the gas forward, which results in a backward thrust to the weapon, which adds backpressure.

Another weapon with such a fitting is the AKS-74U where the very short barrel means that the muzzle attachment is used to slightly increase the gas pressure in the barrel to improve reliability.

If you took the muzzle device off an AKS-74U you would immediately notice a huge muzzle flash, but you would also find that it is not as reliable as it was when the attachment was fitted.

This will likely be more for the purpose of reducing any chance of muzzle flash during long bursts of fire.

Also of interest in those photos is that there seems to be new model PKMs as well as the single new model PKP.

The PKMs can be identified by the handle to remove the barrel, while the PKP has a fixed barrel that needs to be taken to depot level to change the barrel.

The photo of Medvedev firing the machine gun is an upgraded PKM, which has the bipod at the muzzle like the PKP and RPK-74 and it seems to have the new muzzle brake of the PKP as well and the pic rails for scopes and front grips.

A few pictures doesn't mean all Russian soldiers have poor trigger discipline, or aren't taught trigger discipline. Judging by only these pictures, I could say the US military doesn't teach its fighters proper trigger discipline.
http://www.murdoconline.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/marine-mout-training.jpg
Not only is he aiming at his buddy, he has his finger on the trigger.
http://www.gunpundit.com/2008/marine_pistol.jpg

Here's a really interesting interview with Acting Director General of "TSNIITOCHMASH" Dmitry Semizorova, who is an ex FSB officer.
He talks about "Warrior" and "Barmitsa", as well as a LOT of other things.

http://gurkhan.blogspot.com/2012/10/blog-post_16.html

It's pretty long, but definitely worth the read in my opinion.

So, apparently the Army is going to test a few Boxer GTK's. Although it weighs ~33 tons and seems to have no amphibious or airlift capability, it does have a similar bolt-on modular design as planned for Boomerang. So how many NATO 8x8 APC's is the Army testing now? I've lost count. This all seems rather ridiculous with Boomerang's reveal just around the corner. Maybe the Ministry of Defense is going to drive them all to hell and back to see which one's truly the best APC out there. Getting any useful "experience" from current NATO designs to develop Boomerang seems a little too late at this point. There's probably a working prototype already in existence somewhere.

Talk of building and adopting some in-house Centauro's and now Boxer's also is absurd at this point, could the Ministry of Defense really be that stupid? This new Boxer deal also seems to hint at the possibly of a manufacturing license, same as the Centauro deal supposedly had. There's no way Russia would build two nearly identical vehicles with different logistical tails. Is this a kick in the butt for local manufacturers to start producing, a way to get tooling and manufacturing techniques, an expensive way to get NATO vehicles for comparison testing, or an outright foolish abandonment of in-house designs by the defense Ministry? Frankly I'm lost at this point.

Ever wonder what WWIII would look like?

There was some truly awesome camerawork during that exercise.

It is very straight forward.

They will test any product from anywhere.

If they find model a from country c has excellent suspension that is far better than that produced in Russia and withstands a lot more HE power from mines, or uses no hydraulics or whatever they will offer to buy the technology outright, which might involve a licence to produce 250 vehicles or it might not.

If they have to licence produce 250 vehicles that is fine, they will get a new factory to build light vehicles, they will get the new technology they need to apply to all their domestic vehicles and they can move those 250 vehicles to the MVD or sell to a country that might have a use for them.

A lot of the time they will find there is nothing of interest in particular, just how the vehicle is put together, or materials, or engine power, or the fact that it could be ready in time for Sochi, though the latter reason is soon to no longer apply.

This really is a case of trying to look at what is the best available around the world so they can set the bar fairly for their domestic producers.

Same thing I'm thinking, but why doesn't the MoD just state it like that, what's with the the smoke and mirrors with regards to these APC deals? Does the Boxer offer anything the Centauro and Patria lack?

I don't even think Germany has that many Boxers in service yet. I can understand buying perhaps one foreign model for testing but three separate ones, and everything that goes along with it seems costly. Maybe they're getting an amazing deal, maybe Merkel is happy about her new pipeline.

Great video. One thing that's a little concerning is that they don't appear to be aiming their rifles when they get off the beach. Is this just some type of suppression tactic?

http://twower.livejournal.com/898732.html

Very very interesting. MOD published tenders to be assigned this month, regarding modernization and repair of vehicles, with the maximum cost for each individual tender.

The most eye catching stuff:

-145 BMP-2 to have capital overhaul, plus communications+ radio modernization. 48 million USD.
-134 BTR-80 to be modernized to BTR-82AM. 90 million USD.
-105 MT-LB capremont and modernized with Kord and new radios. 26 million USD.
-101 T-72B modernized. 170 million USD. This is believed to be the T-72B2 (Rogatka) due to price.

Same thing I'm thinking, but why doesn't the MoD just state it like that, what's with the the smoke and mirrors with regards to these APC deals?

I would suggest the problem is not the government, but the reporting... every country hears the Russians are testing their countries vehicle and it is going to be entering service in the Russian military next year.

Does the Boxer offer anything the Centauro and Patria lack?

They wont know till they test it.

All the companies making these vehicles will make all sorts of claims, but it all comes out in the testing.

I don't even think Germany has that many Boxers in service yet. I can understand buying perhaps one foreign model for testing but three separate ones, and everything that goes along with it seems costly. Maybe they're getting an amazing deal, maybe Merkel is happy about her new pipeline.

It all depends. If they are bought outright the Russians might test one or two in the desert and the arctic and in a range of other environments like mountains etc, while the third might be tested with different weapon types to see what sort of damage it can withstand before failing.

If they are not allowed to shoot at them then they might have them in swamps and deserts and mountains and other environments looking for problems and advantages.

It might be that their transmissions are very good, or their engines are more powerful and more fuel efficient, or that their cold start ignition systems are worth adopting, or perhaps their heaters operate at colder temperatures than their Russian equivalents. Their bullet proof glass might stop heavier bullets or might be easier to see through... things you really only can find out from using them.

Great video. One thing that's a little concerning is that they don't appear to be aiming their rifles when they get off the beach. Is this just some type of suppression tactic?

Mostly a "we are firing blanks and have nothing to actually aim at" type thing I suspect. In the case of a real attack they will likely be aiming properly and keeping the bursts short.

BTW Nice find TR-1

Zivo wrote:Same thing I'm thinking, but why doesn't the MoD just state it like that, what's with the the smoke and mirrors with regards to these APC deals? Does the Boxer offer anything the Centauro and Patria lack?

German engine and transmission.

I like the Boxer the most out of all the ones they are testing. Interior looks excellent, and the suspension looks more ready for RUssia's offroading.

Though then again, I expect the Fins did not make the Patria lacking in that respect.

Nice High resolution video in INTERPOLITEX 2012 exhibition.
Watch it in full screen.

http://www.gazeta.ru/social/video/oruzhie_i_zashita_na_interpolitex.shtml

...and another video about the exhibition. With a very interesting clip of a TIGR withstanding a mine explosion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw9XaULrOuc

Cool videos, thanks for posting them.

Did they say how many kilograms of explosives were used?

27 Soldiers of the Central Military District Have Committed Suicide Since the Beginning of the Year

"Of the 27 suicides, two officers, five warrant officers, seven soldiers under contract, and 13 conscripts. Suicide rate is 2.5 times lower than the nationwide figures," - said Ivanov, adding that last year in the district committed suicide brought 30 soldiers and officers.

Since the beginning of the year in the Central Military District on the 18 percent decline in the number of reported crimes. Oversight body was found 895 violations. Including more than 200 offenses related to unauthorized soldiers leaving his post and 139 crimes that occurred on the grounds of bullying among soldiers. This year, the bullying has been convicted of more than 200 soldiers, 27 of them were real terms.

(Google Translate)

Read the rest of the article here:http://www.alphagroup.ru/press-service/news/5562
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Best of wishes to their families. It must be especially hard to lose somebody that way.
It is good that things are improving.

Military Intelligence Units of the Southern Military District to Undergo Mountain Training in North Ossetia

More than 600 military intelligence units of the Southern Military District (SOUTH) will be trained on the mountain range DTV (Republic of North Ossetia - Alania). Experienced teachers, past 2-month training courses, conduct classes in mountains and forests at elevations of 1200 to 2500 meters above sea level in the conditions close to the fighting.

During the training, scouts will learn tactical and special methods of combined arms combat, silent elimination of the enemy, focus on unfamiliar terrain, working on modern complexes automation and communications, as well as overcome the rocky terrain of varying steepness and difficulty using a climbing system, ice axes, zhumarov , carabiners and ropes.

(Google translate)

Read the rest of the article here: http://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/more.htm?id=11426248@egNews
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If it is true that the army is redeploying to the North Caucasus region, this added mountaineering expertise may very well come in handy.