Russia's third-generation Ratnik combat gear to feature exoskeleton

Russian designers are to present the third-generation Ratnik ("Warrior") combat gear to the world in seven years, the TASS news agency has reported (in Russian), citing the press service of the Central Research Institute for Precision Machine Building (TsNIITochMash, a subsidiary of the Rostec state corporation).

According to the designers, the armor will feature an active exoskeleton, which will significantly increase the physical power of soldiers wearing it.

"An active exoskeleton is a mechanism whose hinges are equipped with electric and hydraulic drives, to enhance the possibilities of the musculoskeletal system," said the report.

The passive exoskeleton, which also will be one of the components of the new gear, will not contain wire and will not be connected to the body of the serviceman. It, in turn, will serve to reduce the load on joints and will reduce the likelihood of injury.

As TsNIITochMash's CEO Dmitry Semizorov previously noted (in Russian), the next, third-generation Ratnik outfit will appear in five to seven years.

According to him, all the components of the system (protection, life support, power supply, etc.) will reach a fundamentally new level of technology.

In addition to exoskeletal structures, designers will create systems to display information and target designation on the visor or goggles.

This article originally appeared at Russia Beyond the Headlines.