How new technologies help arm the army. Guests from the future: the latest technologies for equipping soldiers
In the next five years, Russian law enforcement agencies, including the Ministry of Defense and the FSB, will receive large quantities of robotic systems.
This was reported to RT by a source in one of the defense industry design bureaus.
The first stage will be the introduction of operator-controlled equipment, but later it is planned to create more automated systems based on artificial intelligence.
How the latest technologies will change the face of the Russian Armed Forces and who will be replaced by robots on the battlefield - in the RT material.
Combat robot "Uran-9" / RIA Novosti
Russian law enforcement agencies, including the Ministry of Defense and the FSB, will adopt a large number of robotic systems. A source in the military-industrial complex (DIC), working in one of the design bureaus in the Moscow region, told RT about this.
“In the next five years there will be active implementation robotic systems in the armed forces and law enforcement agencies. At first, these will be complexes where the equipment is controlled by an operator, but the second stage will be the appearance of more automated devices,” said RT’s interlocutor.
According to him, “the introduction of such systems will occur not only on the basis of existing weapons, significantly increasing their effectiveness, but also when creating completely new models.” “On average, it takes about three years", the specialist added.
He noted that the practical use of robots, including combat ones, is facilitated by fast development telepresence technologies and improving digital data transmission. “These factors made it possible to reduce the size of robotic devices, improve the image on the monitor and speed up their performance,” the source explained.
Robots in real service
Another RT source, who heads one of the research structures in the field of robotics, spoke about significant interest in robots from the military and security forces. In his opinion, robots can enhance combat capabilities Aerospace Forces, Navy, Ground Forces, Forces special operations(MTR) and special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
"IN armed forces and strength special purpose the functions of modern robots mainly come down to fulfilling three purposes: reconnaissance, mine clearance and combat use. Over time, the number of tasks assigned to robotics will increase. At the same time, there will be a process of displacing people with equipment on the battlefield,” the scientist said.
RT's interlocutor said that first of all, robots will replace military specialists, whose training and preparation takes a lot of time and requires significant financial costs.
“These are, for example, pilots, tank crews, artillerymen and others. From the point of view of financial feasibility, the use of robots may be much more effective,” the source explained. However, he believes that the large-scale use of robotic infantry is unlikely.
“The situation with military robots is diametrically opposed to industrial ones, which are designed to replace heavy, monotonous manual labor and speed up production processes. Military robots should replace specialists highly qualified, which are now performing tasks, for example, related to complex mathematical calculations,” the scientist explained.
He emphasized that the risk of losing a robotic infantryman while performing combat missions is unjustified. “In the case of any high-tech equipment, it is extremely undesirable for it to fall into the hands of the enemy, and when participating on the front line, such risks are very high. No matter how cynical it may sound, accounting plays an important role in war,” stated RT’s interlocutor.
Without Terminators
Cinema has formed the idea among the average person that combat robots must certainly look like anthropomorphic cyborgs. The two parts of the sci-fi blockbuster “Terminator” directed by James Cameron most strongly influenced the consciousness of the mass audience.
Still from the movie "Terminator"
The plot of the action movie tells that humanity created robots similar to themselves, who then rebelled and enslaved people. This idea It has been used many times in other films. Robots with artificial intelligence have always looked like humans.
However, real development military robotics didn't go that route. For about 15 years, he has been trying to put a robot on its feet (and on four legs, not two). American company Boston Dynamics. In 2005, it introduced its first walking robot, BigDog, which should serve as a transport for ground forces.
The specimen resembles a cloven-hoofed creature that is headless. The robot is capable of moving over very rough terrain (ravines, hills) and carrying up to 154 kg of cargo. Later American company released several other walking robots - Cheetah, Wildcat, LittleDog, Rise, Petman, Atlas and Handman.
BigDog Robot
The development was funded by the US Department of Defense division responsible for new technologies (DARPA). Departments of leading technical universities USA and NASA specialists.
However, walking robots were not found practical application. They turned out to be quite noisy when moving, and they are also difficult to repair. Perhaps in the future, with the improvement of the characteristics of walking equipment, BigDog and other complexes will become suitable for use.
In Russia, the development of walking robots is underway, but things have not gone beyond prototypes. The current thinking of Russian and foreign militaries is that tracked and wheeled robotics are more effective.
In addition, tracked and wheeled platforms on this moment easier to develop, cheaper to manufacture and more reliable to operate. Russian industrialists claim that in 3-5 years they are able to create unmanned tanks and rocket systems volley fire(MLRS), support vehicles for tanks, infantry and landing forces.
In recent years, the domestic defense industry has demonstrated several interesting samples: the 15-ton Vikhr reconnaissance and strike complex, created on the basis of the BMP-3, the 10-ton Uran-9 and smaller complexes Platform-M, Nerekhta, "Companion".
Hopes for artificial intelligence
Modern robots are divided into operator-controlled, semi-autonomous and autonomous machines. In general, humanity strives for maximum autonomy in robotics. The impetus for the emergence of autonomous combat vehicles is the development of self-learning neural network systems.
Robots of the future must act independently of humans, have the ability to analyze mistakes made, accumulate experience and self-learn. Current robots, or rather robotic systems, cannot yet work completely independently in combat conditions.
Combat vehicles that are demonstrated at exhibitions and training grounds are controlled by an operator. A soldier with a portable radio control station is usually located hundreds of meters or several kilometers from the robot.
Sapper robot "Uran-6" / RIA Novosti
However, the world's leading powers are striving to create combat vehicles based on artificial intelligence, that is, capable of making decisions independently. They may be more effective than military personnel. The rate at which the combat capabilities of robots will grow directly depends on how intensively artificial intelligence develops.
Head of the Department of Robotic Systems and Mechatronics (SM-7) MSTU. Bauman Vadim Serebrenny confirmed to RT that so far the actions of modern robotic systems are controlled by humans through telepresence devices.
“Despite this, everything is moving towards the creation of technology based on artificial intelligence. As the level of decision-making shifts from the operator to the machine itself, certain difficulties arise: will the robot be able to distinguish civilians from the enemy, friend from foe, will it be able to cease fire in time, and much more,” Serebrenny said.
“We need clear recognition algorithms and a high level of technical vision so that the robot can independently, and most importantly, accurately identify who is in front of it and what actions need to be taken in a given situation. The appearance of such machines can be expected within the next 5–10 years,” Serebrenny suggested.
The expert is confident that autonomous combat vehicles are certainly promising direction research. Robots will gradually replace people. In this regard, Serebrenny drew attention to the need to create a regulatory framework that would regulate the combat use of autonomous robots.
In 2015, the founder of the SpaceX corporation, Elon Musk, and 115 other specialists in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence appealed to the UN with a request to introduce a ban on the use of autonomous systems lethal weapons.
According to the authors of the appeal, combat robots will pose a danger to civilians. They also fear that robots could fall into the hands of oppressive regimes, terrorists and hackers who can hack and reprogram highly complex systems.
“At the moment there are no laws in the world regulating the combat use of robots. Now the robot is controlled by an operator, so he is apparently responsible. However, with the advent of advanced artificial intelligence, the situation will change dramatically. I am not a supporter of any alarmism, but it is necessary to begin legislative work now,” Serebrenny emphasized.
Enemies of modern robots
On this moment no known cases combat use robots, with the exception of attack drones. The development and implementation of ground combat robots lags somewhat behind aerial and underwater vehicles. According to experts, this is due to a number of objective difficulties.
The main enemies of modern ground platforms are means electronic warfare(EW), which are in service with almost every army in the world.
The radio channel through which the robot receives a command is still vulnerable, despite the use of modern data coding and packaging systems (to prevent the interception of control over equipment. - RT). The control signal can be intercepted or simply jammed relatively easily.
Also, the signal from a radio transmitter or satellite may be lost due to the terrain, the presence of nearby tall buildings or structures. An additional complication is that the radio control panel, signal transmission system and power supply are quite bulky and heavy.
“In addition to radio control, there is also cable control. It imposes a number of restrictions: the distance of use of the robot is limited by the length of the cable, the wire can be broken, and the operator does not have many opportunities for being hidden,” a source in a structure engaged in robotics research explained to RT.
According to him, the above problems can only be solved by artificial intelligence: “A machine with a positioning system and the ability to operate autonomously will at least be able to return to its original position if the signal from the operator is lost.”
On the way to robotization
Russia is among the leaders in the development of robotics, although it lags behind some in this area Western states. In recent years, Moscow has practically eliminated the shortage of drones, created effective sapper vehicles and prototypes of tracked combat systems.
The upcoming replenishment of troops and law enforcement agencies robots may face a number of difficulties that are familiar to other countries. The introduction of any new type of weapon is always associated with the need to develop clearly defined rules of combat use, as well as the establishment of a logistics support (MTS) system.
“Currently there are no technician training centers that can carry out on-site repairs, which means that products have to be returned to the manufacturer to correct problems. Military units must be able to carry out independent repairs and maintenance of equipment,” explained a source in the design bureau.
Nevertheless, Russia has good potential for the production of combat robots.
“Russia has a whole range of developments, as well as all the necessary specialists for the development of robotics. All that is required is sufficient administrative and financial resource"- emphasized the interlocutor of RT.
Combat vehicles.
It is known that the development of military equipment is directly dependent on the development of technology in general. But huge growth military equipment, in turn, stimulates the development of a number of branches of industrial production.
If mass production modern weapons of war cannot be achieved without a developed metallurgical, mechanical engineering and chemical industry; the huge need for artillery, tanks, aviation, gunpowder and other military supplies for the army is a significant incentive for the development of high-quality metallurgy, automotive, aviation, aluminum, chemical and other industries.
It is known that a number of branches of modern industry began to develop rapidly only as a result of the needs of the war. For example, the aviation industry, which is a powerful economic sector in a number of advanced countries, and aluminum production current situation
obliged exclusively to military aviation. Based on the high level of development of productive forces, the increased capacity of the production apparatus of metallurgy and mechanical engineering, the chemical industry, electrical engineering and automotive industry during the First World War, the quantitative and qualitative growth of small arms and artillery was determined, great development
received new means of armed struggle: aircraft, tanks, toxic substances. At the beginning of the war, the infantry was armed with rifles and in small numbers heavy machine guns . Further fire weapons infantry increased: the number increased heavy machine guns , light machine guns, mortars and escort guns appeared. Saturation infantry division and infantry battalion with heavy and light machine guns
shown in table. 1.
Table 1 | A country | Infantry battalion | ||||||
Infantry Division | heavy machine guns | Infantry Division | heavy machine guns | |||||
light machine guns | 1914 | light machine guns | 1914 | light machine guns | 1914 | light machine guns | 1914 | |
1918 | — | 12 | — | 24 | 24 | 108 | — | 216 |
Germany | 2 | 8 | — | — | 24 | 80 | — | — |
Austria-Hungary | 2 | 12 | — | 36 | 24 | 108 | — | 324 |
France | 2 | — | — | 48 | 24 | 64 | — | 336 |
England | — | 12 | — | — | 8 | 275 | — | — |
Italy | — | — | — | 64 | 18- | 225 | — | 775 |
USA
By the end of the war, the firepower of the infantry battalion increased by 2 1/2-3 times compared to 1914, despite the fact that its strength decreased by almost one third (23). During the war, artillery increased significantly. If in in 1914 there were 6.7 thousand light guns, then in 1918 their number reached 15 thousand, and the number of heavy guns during this time increased from 2.6 thousand to 10 thousand. French army There were 3.7 thousand light guns in 1914, and 10 thousand in 1918; there were only 0.3 thousand heavy guns in 1914, and 7.5 thousand in 1918.
It should be noted that a significantly larger number of guns took part in the battles. Thus, British factories produced 26,916 guns during the war. different calibers; French factories - 17,740 75-mm guns and 6,770 heavy guns; In Russia, during the war, about 16 thousand guns of various calibers were sent to the front.
Along with the quantitative growth of artillery, the war also created conditions for its qualitative development. The range of light cannon artillery increased from 7.8-8.6 km to 11 km, and the range of heavy howitzers from 9.8 km to 13.5 km. Ultra-long-range guns with a firing range of 120 km appeared. The share of howitzer artillery increased to 40%, and heavy artillery to 50%. In connection with the partial transfer of artillery from horse-drawn to mechanical and railway traction, the calibers of the guns increased to 200-520 mm, and the weight artillery systems in combat position from 5.7-42 tons to 130-250 tons.
During the war, weapons of mass extermination—toxic substances—were widely used. In this area, the championship belonged to Germany, whose chemical industry was in first place in Europe in terms of development.
Aviation before the war was in its infancy. In 1914, the armies had only a few dozen aircraft, but by the end of the war their number reached several thousand.
German air fleet at the beginning of the war it consisted of 41 detachments of six aircraft each. By the end of the war, Germany already had 450 air units at the front and 103 in the rear. In total, Germany had 14 thousand aircraft, including training ones, of which 5 thousand aircraft were at the front.
The French air force in 1914 consisted of 134 combat aircraft, and in 1918 - 11,500.
The British air force in August 1914 had 179 aircraft, and in 1918 the number of combat aircraft had already reached 8,350.
At the beginning of the war in Italy there were only 3 aircraft in service, but in 1918 there were 2,600 of them at the front alone.
The American army at the beginning of the war had 55 aircraft, and by the end of the war it already had 2,600 aircraft.
During the war years, along with the quantitative growth of aircraft, their quality also changed (see Table 2)
table 2
The growth of aviation prompted the development of anti-aircraft artillery. At the end of the war, small-caliber automatic rifles began to be used. anti-aircraft guns(37-40 mm) for firing at aircraft at altitudes of 1-3.5 km, anti-aircraft guns medium caliber (75-77 mm) and heavy anti-aircraft guns (88 mm and above) with a firing altitude of up to 6-9 km.
During the war, tanks appeared. In September 1916, in the battle on the river. Somme, the British used tanks that moved on roads at a speed of 6-7.5 km/h, and off roads - 3 km/h. But a year later the quality of the tanks improved.
The appearance of tanks caused the development anti-tank weapons struggle. Were created heavy machine guns and small-caliber (20-37 mm) guns.
In the history of the First World War, there were cases of massive use of motor transport (transfer of French troops from Paris to the Marne River in September 1914, transportation of reinforcements to French troops fighting against the Germans near Verdun in 1916).
Finally, during the war, tethered balloons, searchlights, optical instruments, and means of electrical communication - telegraph, telephone and radio - appeared.
The development during the war of old and new means of combat (tanks, aircraft, chemical weapon) brought to life new organization troops and raised technical troops to a higher level.
The change in the ratio of military branches in the French army during the war can be seen from table. 3.
Table 3
Although specific gravity infantry and cavalry decreased significantly, their combat power increased, since the weapons of infantry and cavalry during the war increased several times in both quantitative and qualitative terms.
Weapons and all military equipment represent the material basis of a military organization, the closest and most immediate factor in the development of military affairs. " Military tactics depends on the level of military technology - Engels chewed this truth and put it in the mouths of the Marxists.” This remark by V.I. Lenin in connection with the lessons of the Moscow uprising of 1905 is true not only with regard to tactics, but also for the entire method of waging war.
The method of waging war as a certain combination of strategy, operational art and tactics is directly dependent on the nature of the socio-economic formation, the level of development of the productive forces and the class composition of the society of the warring countries. It changes depending on the conditions of social development, primarily depending on the development of production.
Each socio-economic formation has its own way of waging war. However, even within a given socio-economic formation, the method of warfare does not stand still, but undergoes significant changes.
Methods of warfare and combat, as well as social production, which influences the forms and methods of warfare, go through a certain path of development within the framework of a given socio-economic formation. In the same socio-economic formation we have both different stages of social development and countries with different levels development of productive forces. All this leaves an imprint on the organization, recruitment and material support of the armed forces, as well as on the methods of waging war and combat.
The main factors that directly determine the method of warfare and combat and its development, which in turn depend on the method of social production, are the social nature of the armed organization, the quality and quantity of fighters, and the emergence of new types of military equipment.
From the history of wars and military art it is known that the emergence and development of new weapons inevitably caused changes in methods of warfare and tactical methods of combat. About the changes in military affairs that occurred as a result of the invention of gunpowder and firearms, K. Marx wrote: “With the invention of a new weapon of war, firearms, everything inevitably changed. internal organization army, the relationships in which individuals form an army and can act as an army have been transformed, and the relationship of different armies to each other has also changed.”
But the development of military equipment is not some isolated, independent process.
Military equipment of the period of the First World War is a product of the highly developed productive forces of the era of imperialism; it is the result of the progress of general technology, the growth of mechanical engineering, electrical, chemical and other branches of large-scale industry.
All this gave rise to the machine period of wars, which differs sharply from the manufacturing period of wars inherent in capitalism in the pre-monopoly stage of its development.
The manufacturing period of wars arose and developed during the period of formation and development of the capitalist mode of production.
The manufacturing period of wars is characterized by the participation in battles of mass armies, equipped mainly with simple melee weapons (bayonet, saber, pike) and imperfect firearms (melee rifles, short-range guns and howitzers). Just as in the manufacturing period of the development of the capitalist mode of production, production was based on cooperative manual labor using handicraft tools of production, in the manufacturing period of wars the main impact force in the battle there was predominantly manpower, using relatively simple weapons of armed struggle in the order of simple cooperation.
The main type of combat during this period of war was close combat. Firearms was intended to prepare for an offensive within tactical depth enemy defense, and edged weapons ensured the outcome of close combat.
The era of imperialism is militarily characterized by a transition from local wars to the world, from relatively small armies to millions of armies, from limited types and numbers of weapons to diverse and very complex military equipment, from fleeting to long-term combat operations that require enormous consumption of material resources, that is, the transition from the manufacturing to the machine method of warfare.
The basis for the transition from the manufacturing to the machine period of wars was major changes in industrial technology, which ensured the rapid growth of heavy industries in the period from 1870 to 1914. Of great importance were also the fivefold increase in the world's railway network over these years, the emergence and significant development road transport.
World War 1914-1918 was the first big war of the machine period of wars, since they found in it mass application various types new military equipment. The productive forces of monopoly capitalism stood at such a high level of development at that time, which ensured that during the war the old weapons of war developed to unprecedented proportions and the emergence of new means of struggle.
Military technology during the First World War brought profound changes to the methods of warfare and combat, causing; to life operational art. Use in battles large quantity tanks and aircraft made it possible to apply deep tactical strikes. As of 1919 general staffs The Entente countries even planned to use tanks and aircraft on an army and front-line scale.
During the First World War, artillery became the main striking force. The infantry, although armed with automatic weapons, could not operate successfully without suppressing enemy defenses with artillery. During the war, armed struggle was carried out not only on land and sea, but also in the air. Chemical warfare has become widespread.
Profound changes in military equipment and methods of warfare and combat could not but affect the conditions material support armed forces.
Shigalin G. I. Military economy in the First World War
Hypersound - a speed of more than Mach 5 (6000 km/h) - allows missiles to hit almost any point on Earth in the shortest possible time. If such a missile can maneuver and has stealth characteristics, then a country with such missiles can dictate its will to everyone else. While everyone else does not have such missiles.
Now over hypersonic weapons Scientists and engineers from Russia, the USA, and China are definitely working. For example, the option of launching a rocket into space and accelerating it there to supersonic speeds, after which it again rushes to the ground, is being considered.
We are now experiencing, in essence, a revolution in military affairs. If traditional weapons was based on kinetic, chemical and thermal factors impact on the enemy, now a completely new type of weapon appears. Plus - new speeds - hypersound, the development of which is a complex multifaceted task.
Transition to hypersonic speed, that is, a speed exceeding the speed of sound by 6, 7, 10, 20 times, - unique phenomenon. This will push development missile weapons in a fundamentally different way. This will overturn the postulates of modern military science and call into question previous concepts of strategic defense.
Dmitry Rogozin
Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation
With the appearance of orbital satellites armed with such missiles and waiting in the wings, a destructive strike can be delivered to any target on the planet in a matter of minutes. Defense against such weapons, due to their speed, can only be trusted automatic systems- robots that will make a decision to open fire in a matter of seconds.
DARPA concept - hypersonic rocket launch into space.
Laser guns
In 2014, the first mobile combat laser gun, the AN/SEQ-3 Laser Weapon System, created by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, was installed on the American amphibious dock ship Pons.
In September 2014, the ship's commander received permission to use the cannon to defend the ship and, although, according to the Convention on the Prohibition of Certain Conventional Weapons of 1980, the laser cannot be used against people, the cannon has already shot down flying targets in tests, and also destroyed the engine of a drone boat.
Skeptics, including Russian military experts, note the vulnerability of the light beam to smoke, the presence of mirror surfaces covering the target, the high energy intensity of the weapon, and low armor penetration.
I am confident that the time has come for high-energy lasers on the battlefield, on AC-130 ground support aircraft. Weapons of the future - energy weapons
Bradley Heithold
Lieutenant General, Head of the AFSOC Project
However, the temptation to get a “shell” that literally instantly hits the target is too great - the speed of light turns shooting even at the fastest target into an elementary task. The laser may well be enough to destroy anyone modern aircraft or missiles - they are not protected by any armor.
The ship itself has a powerful power plant, while the level of safety on board increases sharply - on a ship with laser gun there are no explosives. Weaponization with lasers and aircraft is discussed.
AN/SEQ-3 Laser Weapon System.
Autonomous drones
Flying vehicles for reconnaissance and surveillance of the enemy are regularly used by armies even without the most technologically advanced developed countries. Already involved and attack drones, controlled by operators many kilometers from the battlefield. In the future, full-fledged unmanned aircraft may appear.
Moreover, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has tested many small autonomous drones by dropping them from the containers of F-18 fighter jets.
Interconnected autonomous vehicles, the artificial “brain” of which was distributed among all the drones, like a swarm of insects, demonstrated collective behavior.
Thus, if now for technologically developed countries, human losses among pilots are a serious deterrent when attacking a country with more or less developed air defense, then in 20-30 years this factor may simply disappear.
X-47B drone on the US aircraft carrier Harry Truman.
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Biotech explosion
Few things can frighten a person so much as an “invisible living enemy” in the form of microbes, viruses and other organisms that can quietly settle in his own home and even the body.
Military analysts note the spread across the planet and less and less government control over developments in the field of modification of biomaterial - from plants to viruses and human cells.
“New methods of genome correction and modification may allow scientists to use organisms or biological systems as weapons.
Future development may lead to the creation of new body parts, a brain-computer communication interface, and the redesign of natural biological systems to create drugs, chemicals, materials and food products,” the Pentagon predicts.
Thus, biotechnology can not only kill, but also help make a soldier more resilient and strong, vigilant and resistant to injury.
An experimental “hand” that is capable of transmitting sensations to the owner. Another DARPA development.
Biotechnology and nanotechnology can help develop new camouflage materials, paints and stimulants.
In the end, a soldier can receive implants in different parts of the body and directly in the brain, including “spare” vital organs, sets of antidotes, anti-shock agents and medications pre-installed in the body, which will automatically respond to changes in a person’s well-being, large blood loss, etc. similar.
Cyberterrorism
Already now, computers are on warships, tanks and airplanes, and help control artillery fire. In the near future, almost any modern weapons will receive his own large or small, expensive or cheap computer - perhaps even a hand grenade.
In addition, the military is striving to connect as many of its computers as possible into a single network, facilitating communication and data exchange - in order to maximize coordination on the battlefield.
However, in this way, new power entails new weakness - a team of trained hackers can gain access to top-secret information, disorganize or even make it impossible for a huge number of people to work together.
Cyberspace is actually a new ecosphere, a new field - no less important than land, sea, air or space. And here states and non-state actors strive for advantage
Ronald Deibert
author of the report "The Emergence of an Arms Race in Cyberspace" Director of the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto
The war in cyberspace is apparently now being waged largely anonymously, which has led Evgeniy Kaspersky, founder of Kaspersky Lab, to call it cyberterrorism rather than war. Attacks in cyberspace have been attributed to Russia, the United States, Israel, and China.
The only official cyber war so far has been declared by the United States, which created the Cyber Command within the armed forces in 2009. This war is being waged against the Islamists of ISIS (an organization banned in the Russian Federation).
Global developments in the field of equipment for the “soldier of the future” do not stand still: many efforts are aimed at improving weapons, uniforms, protection and even control over the physical condition of a soldier. In the future, infantry will adopt the latest advances high technology. However, the task is not just to create, but also to successfully introduce these technologies into the army, and subsequently use them in combat operations.">
17:21 / 05.09.11
Guests from the future: the latest technologies for equipping soldiers
The new kit will include systems for destruction, protection, control, life and energy support, as well as a communicator that determines the coordinates of a fighter using GLONASS and GPS systems. This development, presented at the MAKS-2011 air show, allows us to solve most of the problems facing the “soldier of the future.” It provides greater mobility and allows the fighter to control the situation on the battlefield, as well as transmit the coordinates of enemy targets and video images.
The soldier's protection is provided by the combat protective kit. It is made of aramid materials and provides all-round ballistic protection of at least 80% of the body surface area from low-velocity fragments, as well as protection from short-term exposure to open flames.
In addition to armor-protective equipment, the Permyachka kit includes camouflage elements (for summer and winter conditions), a transport vest designed for convenient placement of weapons, ammunition and other elements on a serviceman combat equipment, raid backpack, etc. – only about 20 elements.
So, Russia does not intend to lag behind the leading powers of the world in any way. It is possible that the domestic “soldier of the future” will be able to compete with Western analogues, and perhaps even surpass them in some ways. But it’s one thing to declare your plans, and another thing to put them into practice. This will require a lot of time and, most importantly, money. Will the Ministry of Defense be able to to the fullest to finance the development, and whether the army has enough funds to purchase and put into service expensive equipment is not yet known. Time will tell whether the Russian “soldier of the future” has a future.
Future Soldier program, which was supported by the armies of many countries around the world, will help equip soldiers with last word techniques to increase their effectiveness in battle. This program includes modernizing not only the soldier’s weapons, but also armor protection technologies, surveillance systems, as well as increasing the mobility of the individual soldier through the availability of individual portable energy sources.
Developments in the field of creating equipment for the “soldier of the future”, carried out in the USA (Future Force Warrior) and in the UK (Future Integrated Soldier), combine all possible sources of funding to ensure that infantrymen are armed as best as possible. Below are some technologies that will help turn a simple soldier into a real “soldier of the future” - mobile, fast, accurate and invulnerable.
All-Seeing Eye: Reconnaissance Drones
Unmanned air system Skylark (“Lark”), the function of which is optical surveillance, developed by Elbit Systems, can now be controlled either by the squad leader or using a remote control remote control, attached to the soldier's chest. Thanks to the use of new modern system FGCS (forward ground control station) control system, the Skylark drone meets all modern requirements regarding its ability to interact with the operator, size, weight and flight performance.
The control system itself consists of 4 main components attached to the soldier's chest for ease of use. This is a mini-computer, tactical monitor, control panel and active sensor Skylark Rambo. Optical device Can also be attached to a tactical monitor for covert operations or when moving.
The FGCS system allows infantrymen to control the drone using a minimum amount of equipment. The device is launched by the dispatcher, and any soldier within the range of the drone’s signal can control it using the FGCS system.
First aid station on the soldier’s body: WPSM system
Technologies that help monitor the enemy are already widely used in combat operations, and equipment that allows us to monitor the physical condition of our own soldiers has only recently come into use. A tracking system was developed in the USA physical condition fighter called WPSM (the warfighter physiological status monitor). This system is part of the equipment of the American soldier of the future - the Future Force Warrior project, which will be fully completed by 2032.
The WPSM system includes a set of medical instruments for measuring physical parameters soldier, such as body temperature, heart rate, arterial pressure and stress level. The system collects and processes this data and, if necessary, transmits it directly to the medical service for further action.
The sensors will be built into an army T-shirt, which is part of the soldier's underwear. However, the cost of manufacturing such a system currently does not allow the production of uniforms in large quantities. The developers are faced with the task of reducing the cost of manufacturing the system so that it can be released into mass production.
Energy sources: acid, alcohol or sun?
Quantity electronic equipment, included in a soldier's equipment, is growing, which means that soldiers need more powerful portable sources of electricity. At the moment, almost a quarter of the infantryman's load is made up of portable batteries, the weight of which in some cases exceeds 11 kg.
Due to the need to reduce the weight of a soldier's equipment, highly efficient, easy to use and lightweight batteries were developed. The new 300 watt-hour per kilogram lithium-acid batteries are 50% more efficient than standard batteries currently in use.
The representative of the Department of Physical Sciences of the British Ministry of Defense Science and Technology Laboratory, Darren Browning, speaking at a conference dedicated to the “soldiers of the future”, insisted that in the future they will be able to increase the power of portable batteries to 400 - 600 watt-hours per kilogram .
Another option is power supplies that run on purified methyl alcohol, which have a capacity of 649 watt-hours per kilogram, which is significantly higher than any other battery currently available. A program to use alternative resources is under development. It involves the use of solar panels built into the fighter’s uniform and capable of not only transforming Sun rays into electricity, but also to accumulate it.
The problems of using power sources in soldiers' equipment are still being discussed. Experts believe that having a single power source for all electrical devices used by soldiers is much more more efficient use individual batteries. The power source is placed in a backpack and distributes electricity using a special conductor mounted on the body armor. This system allows you to adapt to the peculiarities climatic conditions, in which hostilities take place.
Strong armor: microfiber or liquid?
A separate topic of discussion, which is perhaps more complex than portable sources of electricity for future soldiers, is the problem of armor protection. In particular, body armor, which is currently used in the US Army, has been sharply criticized.
To protect the fighter's body, they use ceramic plates. According to the report of the commission of military auditors, a number of shortcomings were identified in them. Such body armor reduces a soldier’s mobility, reduces his speed of movement, is inconvenient for securing ammunition and is unable to adapt to changes in weather, humidity, temperature and atmospheric pressure.
Despite protests and complaints from the army, Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant General William Phillips assured that “these are the best body armor in the world today, as confirmed by repeated tests.” Many designers of the future soldier's equipment are leaning towards using microfiber technologies in body armor, such as Kevlar or M5, or even using liquid protectors.
Massachusetts University of Technology (MIT) with the participation of the US Armed Forces was developed liquid material ferrofluid, which in the future may be used in body armor. Its main components are silicone and iron particles. When air enters, the ferrofluid solidifies within milliseconds.
Microfiber material M5 was developed by Dr. Doutzi Sikkema at the chemical company Akzo Nobel. This is a high-strength synthetic fiber based on the use of condensate polymerization technology. This material is lighter than Kevlar and, along with ferrofluid, it is considered as one of the components of future body armor. It is the most fire-resistant organic fiber created to date. The M5 has already confirmed in practice its unique properties of protecting a fighter from damage by both cold steel and firearms.
What do we have?
In Russia, they plan to create a full set of equipment for the “soldier of the future” by 2020. Domestic equipment will be in no way inferior to American and European counterparts. Back at the end of 2010, Vladimir Popovkin, who at that time held the post of Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, stated that Russia and the French company Sagem Defense Securite were negotiating the purchase of a batch of French Felin ammunition, on the basis of which it was planned to create Russian analogue equipment of the “soldier of the future”.
Today, the advantage of the Felin kit over other analogues is its much lower cost. Russian “soldiers of the future” will also be equipped with high-tech communication devices, body armor and the latest weapons.
At the moment, the development of equipment is carried out by a group of enterprises under the leadership of the Klimovsky Central Research Institute (CNII) of Precision Engineering. Among these enterprises are CJSC Kirasa, OJSC Center Armocom, OJSC Cyclone, as well as the Sozvezdie and Izhmash concerns.
The new kit will include systems for destruction, protection, control, life and energy support, as well as a communicator that determines the coordinates of a fighter using GLONASS and GPS systems. This development, presented at the MAKS-2011 air show, allows us to solve most of the problems facing the “soldier of the future.” It provides greater mobility and allows the fighter to control the situation on the battlefield, as well as transmit the coordinates of enemy targets and video images.
The soldier’s protection is provided by the Permyachka combat protective kit.. It is made of aramid materials and provides all-round ballistic protection of at least 80% of the body surface area from low-velocity fragments, as well as protection from short-term exposure to open flames.
In addition to armor-protective equipment, the Permyachka kit includes camouflage elements (for summer and winter conditions), a transport vest designed for convenient placement of weapons, ammunition and other elements of combat equipment on a serviceman, a raid backpack, etc. - about 20 elements in total.
So, Russia does not intend to lag behind the leading powers of the world in any way. It is possible that the domestic “soldier of the future” will be able to compete with Western analogues, and perhaps even surpass them in some ways. But it’s one thing to declare your plans, and another thing to put them into practice.
This will require a lot of time and, most importantly, money. It is not yet known whether the Ministry of Defense will be able to fully finance the development, and whether the army will have enough funds to purchase and put into service expensive equipment. Time will tell whether the Russian “soldier of the future” has a future.