A military expert responded to Rostec's statement that the new promising Sotnik combat kit can withstand a large-caliber bullet. The author tries to understand how this is possible. After all, the modular bulletproof vest of the US Army, which competes with the Centurion, can withstand only a rifle bullet.
Kyle Mizokami
- Russia says that its new Sotnik combat gear for infantry and special forces will have armor capable of stopping a 12.7 mm bullet.
- This statement is sure to surprise experts.
- It is theoretically possible to stop such a large bullet, but the armor will be so bulky that it will be impossible to use it.
The new Russian army modernization program promises major advances in the technology of manufacturing individual body armor. This is really very serious: the Russian manufacturer of military equipment Rostec claims that this armor will be able to stop a 12.7 mm bullet fired from a machine gun.
But whether a soldier will be able to operate on the front line in such protective gear is another matter.
The Russian ground forces plan to supply new Sotnik protective equipment to their combat units around 2025. The "Centurion" will complement, and eventually replace, the "Warrior" equipment, which includes everything from armor protection to uniforms and even lanterns. (The "Warrior" can even be purchased directly from the online store.)
The goals of the promising Sotnik kit are very ambitious, and that's putting it mildly.
"There will be several innovative solutions in individual third-generation equipment for military personnel, including mine-proof shoes, an anti-thermal suit that "hides" the soldier from enemy detection, as well as an anti-radar element. Sotnik will also connect the soldier wearing the equipment to an automated control system and microdrons that provide real-time transmission of the collected images to the helmet's visor or goggles."
However, the most eye-popping claim about this outfit is that its body armor will be able to stop a 12.7mm bullet using ordinary plastic. Here's what Task & Purpose writes about this:
"The fourth-generation Sotnik armor will consist of lightweight polymer fiber and armor plates designed to withstand a direct hit from a 12.7 mm bullet from a Browning machine gun."
Polymer fiber is, of course, plastic. Like any plastic, it is available almost everywhere. You can be sure that right now any of us is a couple of meters away from an object made of plastic.
Polymer armor made of polyethylene is quite real, and it uses a common disadvantage of plastic: it melts. When a red-hot bullet hits the armor, it melts the polyethylene. The molten polymer adheres to the bullet and slows down its movement. If enough plastic gets in the way of the bullet, it will stop completely.
Russian polyethylene armor is called "Supernite," and Russian state media claim that this material is lighter than Israeli and American body armor, but it provides better protection.
Will polyethylene armor be able to stop a 12.7mm bullet? Sure. If there is enough polythene, it will stop anything. But will such armor protection be light so that it is comfortable for a soldier to wear? There is a reason for reflection here.
Let's do the math. The American third-level individual armor protection will stop a bullet weighing 150 grains (9.7 grams) of 7.62 mm caliber, which has a moment of force at the target of 1,878 ft-pounds. But a 12.7mm bullet weighs four times as much, and its moment of force at the target is 11,070 ft-pounds.
The modular bulletproof vest of the American army is capable of stopping a 7.62 mm bullet, but it weighs more than 10 kg. It's hard to say how much plastic will be needed to stop a 12.7mm bullet. But polymer armor, which stops bullets 4-5 times heavier and much more powerful than the 7.62 caliber, can be extremely uncomfortable, even if the material used can withstand a direct shot more effectively.
Let's assume that Russian engineers will be able to complete the task and create an individual armor protection that is guaranteed to stop a 12.7 mm bullet. But in this case, a direct hit by such a large bullet will not seem like a light touch to you. When you get hit by an object that has 11,000 lbf, it's oh so unpleasant.
