Colonel General Oleg Salyukov, Commander of the Russian Ground Forces, said during a press conference that the new infantry combat system, Ratnik-3, is expected to vastly surpass the existing versions of Ratnik, and will take the protection of infantry personal to a whole new level.
"I believe that while this new system will include the most successful technical solutions of Ratnik’s previous versions, it will take the personal combat kit to a whole new level in terms of all of its component systems: offensive, defensive, life support, power and control. It will employ exoskeleton constructions with integrated microclimate support and health monitoring systems, with all information and targeting data being directly fed to a visor or protective goggles," Salyukov said.
The Ratnik outfit is mainly designed for snipers, riflemen, drivers of armored vehicles and airborne combat vehicle gunners.
The Ratnik gear helps a soldier maintain stable radio contact with other units and receive continuously updated reconnaissance data about enemy positions and the overall situation in the combat zone, something that makes him an intellectual fighting machine.
