Tests of new weapons and new equipment
The first mention of the development of equipment for the soldiers "Warrior" appeared a few years ago, but embodied in the metal, textiles and plastics kit was presented only last year at the exhibition MAKS-2011. Now it became known that several copies of the new BES had been received by the 27-th separate motorized rifle brigade. According to the representative of the Ministry of Defense, Lieutenant Colonel N. Donyushkin, the military units began to fully operate the complex in the conditions of the Alabino test site. The purpose of the current tests of the “warrior” is to check the characteristics of various systems and identify their shortcomings. After testing and fine-tuning elements of the BES we should expect state tests. If they succeed, it will be possible to talk about the adoption of equipment for service.
The specific composition of the complex "Warrior" has not yet been named. Official information on this subject was limited to general formulations. Thus, the fighter’s BAT, communications and navigation equipment, the so-called life support system as well weapon. Specific types of equipment in official sources have not yet been listed, which, however, did not prevent the amateurs of military affairs from attempting to “identify” elements of the BES from the photographs presented.
First of all, the characteristic fact catches the eye: “Warrior” is not a single complex, made on a general basis, but several separated units and assemblies. Among other things, this can lead to a low ease of use, because the soldier will have to spend time putting on all the pieces of equipment. Nevertheless, the BES developers did not forget about the “end user” and took a number of measures. Judging by the photos available, the armor of the “Warrior” is connected to the unloading system and pouches. Also from the photos we can conclude about the modular design of body armor. The main vest can be attached to the inguinal and shoulder pads, as well as a separate part to protect the fighter's neck. Such an approach to the creation of soldier’s means of protection is not something new, but its use in a promising domestic BES is undoubtedly interesting and promising.
The second element of armor in the "Warrior" - a helmet. Members of the Internet Forum "Power of Russia" (aka Otvaga2004) learned in it 6B7-1MM. According to the trends of recent years, the metal structure of this protective headgear is covered on top by a camouflage fabric cover to match the color of other uniforms. In front of the helmet has a mount for a night vision device and other similar equipment. It is noteworthy that an unused fastener can be closed with a corresponding part of a fabric cover. Together with the helmet, the fighters in the photographs wear large splinterproof glasses. It is noteworthy that the cover for them, which is necessary in some cases, including in combat, is also transferred on the helmet, being strapped to it with a belt of glasses. Finally, the headset part of the BES includes a headset with active headphones and a microphone to communicate with the soldiers of its unit. Regarding the type of radio station to which the headset is connected, there is no information.
As a matter of fact, the issue is not only the type of radio station worn by the fighter. According to Donyushkin, the BES Ratnik, together with the walkie-talkie, includes navigation, identification and information processing tools. There are no moments or “clues” on the existing photos, according to which it would be possible to determine the specific type of one or another element of the BES electronics or even its composition. Most likely, each fighter along with the “Warrior” will receive a radio station with a small radius of action to communicate with its unit, GLONASS / GPS-navigator and, probably, some kind of computing device. Perhaps the squad leaders will even rely on a secured laptop with the appropriate set of software. However, this is only a version built on logic and observation of foreign equipment projects. In this logic, fit and light protection, designed to prevent small but unpleasant injuries. Over the standard camouflage uniforms, the soldiers in the photo wear knee pads and elbow pads made of plastic. In appearance, a trifle. But in practice, this small detail will help avoid a lot of bad situations.
As for the weapons that will be included in the equipment, in this regard it remains only to build versions. The fact is that the program of creating new small arms for the Russian army is separate and therefore it is unlikely that the modernized SVD rifle and the so-called Kalashnikov assault rifle captured in the photographs are unlikely. hundredth series guaranteed to become part of the complex "Warrior". However, in this form the arming of fighters in the photo is of some interest. So, on the updated Dragunov sniper rifle a new adjustable butt is installed. Judging by its appearance, the shooter can customize both the length of this unit and the height of the pillow under the cheek. And all this is done with the help of its own details of the design of the stock. For a number of reasons, such ergonomic developments have not yet been received by our army in large numbers. Also worth noting is the PT3 rifle scope and its mounting system. Unlike the old PSO-1, it is not mounted on the side mount of the rifle, but on the Picatinny rail located on the receiver cover. In the hands of the soldier-submachine gun in the existing photographs, supposedly, the AK-107 machine gun with balanced mechanics was captured. The cover of the receiver of this machine is also equipped with a Picatinny rail, on which the Krechet collimator sight is mounted. Interesting and machine shop. From its large thickness, we can conclude about trial operation in the troops of the new four-row magazine for 60 cartridges. The existence of such developments for the first time became known a little over a year ago.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister D. Rogozin of September 24 made a reservation about some small arms projects developed by private enterprises. According to the official, at present, there is one type of new pistol and two sniper rifles at the state tests. Regarding the type of gun mentioned above, there is no exact information. This is probably the "Swift", which caused in its time a wave of discussions. But in relation to sniper rifles data has already appeared. Military journalist D. Mokrushin in his blog shared good news regarding these rifles. In a conversation with a journalist, a representative of the ORSIS plant said that their T-5000 rifle was already in state trials. Moreover, two options are presented at once, for the .308 Win (7,62х51 mm of NATO) and .338 Lapua Magnum (8,6х70 mm) cartridges. According to reports, rifles are tested in conjunction with optical sights and night vision devices of domestic production, produced by the company "Daedal".
Unfortunately, there is even less information regarding the course or timing of testing the T-5000 sniper rifles than about the “Warrior”. Therefore, the results of state tests can only guess. Of course, I want the domestic product to go to the troops and “protect” Russian snipers from spending extra on foreign weapons. At the same time, the wishes of the Ministry of Defense regarding the required sniper rifle are still unknown. At the same time, the very fact of state tests may transparently hint at the development of requirements already completed. However, all the information about the state tests of T-5000 has so far been limited to statements by two officials, from the government and the ORSIS company.
The latest news regarding the testing of new weapons and combat equipment looks quite optimistic. Including for the reason that, in contrast to the news of the plans, they imply bringing the programs, at least, to the testing stage in practice. Of course, between testing and full supply should take some time and some effort will be spent. Nevertheless, the creation of a soldier’s new combat equipment and the renewal of the small arms nomenclature are worth these costs and expectations.
On the materials of the sites:
http://ria.ru/
http://news.kremlin.ru/
http://twower.livejournal.com/
http://bmpd.livejournal.com/
http://otvaga2004.mybb.ru/
Information