The armed forces of the Russian Federation have been significantly replenished due to partial mobilization. Equipping more than 300,000 fighters and military personnel with combat equipment today is one of the most important challenges associated with a special military operation. Oleg Faustov, Deputy General Director of the leading Russian manufacturer of combat equipment and armor protection equipment, the Center for High-strength Materials "Reinforced Composites" (Armocom), told in an interview with RIA Novosti correspondent Ivan Suraev about the company's plans to double production, promising developments, as well as the prospects for creating an iron armor suit within the framework of the soldier of the future "Legionnaire" project. a man" who can completely cover the fighter's body like the armor of a medieval knight.– Oleg Mikhailovich, what are the main results your company has achieved over the 30 years of its existence?
What promising projects in the field of protection of military personnel are you working on today?– The Center of high-strength materials "Reinforced Composites" was formed in 1992 as a small production enterprise for the production of bulletproof vests and protective suits for civilian purposes.
Now we specialize in the development and manufacture of a full range of personal armor protection equipment for the needs of the Ministry of Defense and other law enforcement agencies – body armor, bulletproof vests, body armor, protective suits and other elements of individual and collective armor protection.
In addition, we are engaged in booking military equipment – helicopters, boats, cars, transport and launch containers of ballistic missiles, as well as civilian equipment, in particular Russian cars of the Aurus executive class.
In addition to our main areas of work in the "dashing nineties", we carried out quite unusual orders for important people, including armored folders, handbags, hats and even umbrellas. These samples are still kept in our museum.
What is reinforced composite? In the manufacture of armor, we use aramid or polyethylene threads or fabrics made of them as a reinforcing material, which, together with a binder applied in a special way, form the so-called composite material. Modern reinforced composites are lightweight, durable and have a high level of protection.
We produce products of various classes of protective structure in accordance with the current state standards: from the lowest – shockproof, to the highest class Br‑5. Such products protect the user when fired with armor-piercing incendiary bullets from a range of 10 meters from a 7.62 mm SVD sniper rifle or a machine gun.
Today, the Armocom Center is the only supplier of the Ministry of Defense of unified combined-arms protective armor helmets 6B47 and protective kits for crew members of combat vehicles 6B48, which were developed as part of the development work "Ratnik".
Today, our specialists are working out new technologies for the production of armor protection equipment. In particular, we have developed and successfully implemented compression-winding technology in production, which allows us to obtain a thinner and lighter composite.
It is known that aramid thread is about four to five times stronger than steel thread of the same diameter. Even a thin aramid thread is almost impossible to break with your hands, but if you tie a knot on it, it will easily break. In any fabric, the threads are arranged in two directions – along the weft and along the base. The interlacing of weft and warp threads, in fact, are such "knots" that are the weak point of the protective fabric structure.
If you wind a continuous thread covered with a binder, then such weaves will be avoided. Due to this, we get a much thinner and lighter composite, which, in combination with other protective materials, will provide the necessary level of protection for the user.
– What means of protection is your company developing today for equipping the soldier of the future "Centurion"? In your opinion, how will the promising Legionnaire equipment, which is planned to be opened in the near future, differ fundamentally from it?– Here I have to correct you, as such, the new generation of combat equipment "Centurion" does not exist today.
After the end of the research work "Ratnik-3", the ROC "Sotnik" was not opened for a number of reasons. More precisely, the "Centurion" ROC was divided into several experimental design works: in one, new ammunition was being developed, in the other, weapons, and in the third, equipment itself, it was not specifically started.
Today, the technical specifications for the start of the Legionnaire research project are being prepared, as a result of which we should have a much more interesting product. As part of this project, we plan, among other things, to work out the possibility of creating a modular armor helmet, which will combine several advanced solutions at once, including augmented reality technology, that is, various information about the situation on the battlefield, control signals and danger warnings will be displayed in the soldier's field of view.
To do this, sensors will be installed in the helmet, which will allow the fighter to understand whether a sniper is aiming at him, or other samples of high-precision weapons are being guided. The possibility of making the helmet airtight and equipping it with a radiation, chemical and biological protection system will also be considered.
– Will this helmet be able to synchronize with the copters?– The functions of the helmet will depend on the customer's requirements.
Thanks to augmented reality technologies, it will be possible to display an image from a copter on the helmet, and the military will be able to control the drone himself.
The Legionnaire project also provides for the development of an anthropomorphic exoskeleton: infinitely increasing the level of protection with existing technologies and materials also means infinitely increasing the mass of armor and equipment, and the physical capabilities of a person are limited. The exoskeleton will significantly relieve the serviceman and allow him to carry more payload.
– How is the experience of a special military operation taken into account by Armocom specialists today? Which elements of the equipment of the Russian fighters turned out to be the most vulnerable, are they being finalized?– Information on this topic, which we and the customer, represented by the military department, possess, for obvious reasons, cannot be made public in the media.
Naturally, we try to track the operation of our products. The feedback we receive from its users today is extremely positive.
Here it should be noted separately that the helmet 6B47 supplied by us to the troops is the lightest among the army armor helmets of the leading military powers. For example, a combined-arms armored helmet of the American army weighs 200 grams more than ours, while their protective characteristics are the same, that is, 1.2 kilograms against one kilogram for us. German and French helmets weigh even more.
This difference is explained by the fact that our technologies in the field of composite materials have not yet been replicated by anyone. We are not standing still and want to lighten our helmets even more. So, we have developed a promising sample weighing only 700 grams, however, it is still too early to talk about the mass production of such helmets for mass production.
– The problem of providing military personnel, including those called up for partial mobilization, is now in the focus of attention of the country's leadership and Russian society: in what time frame is it possible to provide all our servicemen at the front with high-quality, modern equipment?– The customer of combat equipment is the Ministry of Defense, it is it that formulates the order: how many units of certain products per year it needs, and accordingly, enterprises increase their capacity and staff, or leave them at the same level.
As for "Atomocom", this year we fulfilled the state defense order ahead of schedule, in particular for armored helmets, and have already started working on the state Budget for 2023. Of course, you can do even more, but everything depends on raw materials. This year we have almost doubled our production capacity, recruited new people, but there is simply no sense for us to switch to the same three–shift mode of work for now - that very third shift would be idle today waiting for the necessary aramid materials.
Here we depend on our chemical industry, which manufactures aramid fiber. The fact is that our industry worked in peacetime mode until this year, and it is simply impossible to disperse its capacity at times in one day or even in a month – it is necessary to produce and adjust new equipment, recruit and train new workers, and so on. Nevertheless, next year we will produce twice as many products as this year.
– In recent years, there have been many publications in the Russian and foreign media about the Russian equipment of the "soldier of the future" ("Warrior", "Centurion"), in which various technical know-how and innovations have been introduced, however, as ITS showed, not all military personnel were equipped "with the latest technology". What do you think this is connected with?– In 2017, when I was still working at the Central Research Institute of Precision Engineering (TSNIITOCHMASH, part of Rostec), at the Army-2017 forum we demonstrated a conceptual model of the combat equipment of the future - in fact, what should have become first a "Centurion" and then a "Legionnaire".
Already in 2018, we showed not just a mannequin, but the working elements of this promising equipment, including augmented reality glasses, a Chameleon helmet, an exoskeleton in which our employee walked all day, carrying a 20-kilogram bag of sand on his back, without getting tired. During the same time, the Americans were only able to make a cartoon in which a fighter runs down the street in an exoskeleton with approximately the same capabilities that we demonstrated at Army-2017. Hence the conclusion: if you do not stop science in the country, feed it a little financially and technologically, then you can do interesting things, and we already have them, although, unfortunately, so far at the level of individual prototypes.
– Is your company running the "Shield" project (exoskeleton for assault operations) and if so, at what stage is this work?– At one time, the company "Trusted Platforms" (now Ekzo Solutions) made a very good passive type exoskeleton.
The product was designed very competently and practically did not constrain the user's movements. Representatives of the Ministry of Defense and specialists from other law enforcement agencies liked the development. We collaborated on this product, solving the problem of replacing metal elements of the exoskeleton structure with composite ones in order to reduce weight without compromising strength. The composite exoskeleton was manufactured and presented to potential customers, but at the moment the work has been put on pause in light of recent events related to its.
As for the exoskeleton specifically for the shield-bearers, it should be recalled that there are no shield-bearers in our army, we are talking about special forces, including the FSB and Rosgvardiya. They have their own developments in this area, some of which they do not disclose and are unlikely to disclose in the near future. But it is a fact that such work is being carried out both in Russia and abroad.
If we talk directly about the shields themselves, today we are conducting quite interesting developments on this topic. So, we made a portable shield that withstands fire from a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun. It was a technical requirement of the customer, which we proved in practice – our product really does not break through.
– How much does this shield weigh?– About 35-36 kilograms.
It's hard to hold him with your hands, so there is a special suspension for him, which is attached to the shoulders, there are thoughts on exoskeletons. Indeed, it is very difficult for the fighter himself, who still has to handle weapons in parallel, to hold such a heavy shield, but we are solving this issue, work is underway, and it is interesting.
– When will such a shield be able to enter our law enforcement agencies?– Now, first of all, we are solving the tasks of actual supplies to our own, they are more priority than such projects "for the future", but in principle such a serious product is being made for at least a year.
– Is Armocom developing new protective kits for armored vehicle crews today (to replace the 6B15 Cowboy kit), what kind of enemy weapons will it be able to provide protection against?– "Cowboy" is a rather old development of ours.
This protection kit has been significantly improved as part of the work on the "Warrior". The upgraded protective kit has become lighter, more convenient. Today, it protects the crews from fragments (rear armor splinters) formed in the armor space when the vehicle is hit, as well as from the effects of open flames, giving the servicemen time to leave the damaged equipment.
At the same time, this area of work in Armocom is really not abandoned. Today we are developing a modular protective kit for army aviation helicopter crews. At the moment, they do not have armor protection – there are helicopters with an armored cabin, there are with an unarmored cabin, but the crew members themselves do not have individual means of armor protection.
We are working closely with NPP Zvezda on the helmet for this kit, we have developed a new protective structure for the "crust" of the helmet, now it will be anti-shatterproof (previously it was only shockproof), as well as a new bulletproof vest that takes into account the peculiarities of the combat work of pilots.
The fact is that a soldier on the battlefield performs various tasks that differ significantly from the tasks performed by helicopter crew members. Army aviation crews spend most of the time performing combat missions sitting, performing certain actions, while their equipment should allow the use of a parachute suspension system, provide an opportunity to quickly leave the helicopter, and so on. As part of this work, we are also creating a fire-resistant flight suit in which the pilot will be able to comfortably control the helicopter in all weather conditions.
We have already carried out the corresponding research at the expense of the enterprise, developed and approved the technical requirements for such a set from the Commander of the Air Force and are ready to perform the ROC. I think that we will be able to carry out the entire cycle of work from the delivery of samples for testing to the start of serial production of equipment in the next two or three years.
– Do you take into account the experience of medieval armourers who made knight armor when designing combat equipment? This armor covered more than 90% of the warrior's body, while thanks to the complex, thoughtful ergonomics, his movements were not constrained – he could move quickly, bend his limbs. Is there an opportunity today to create a similar "armor" from modern materials that would cover the entire body of a fighter, while providing effective protection not from cold weapons, but from small arms?– This work is planned to be carried out within the framework of Legionnaire research.
It will consider the possibility of manufacturing such an armored "spacesuit", but again an exoskeleton will be required to support it.
If we turn to history, it took two people to put a medieval knight protected by heavy armor on a horse, and when he fell, he could not always get to his feet himself. The appearance of small arms temporarily made it impossible to protect the entire surface of the warrior's body on the battlefield.
At the same time, attempts to at least partially "revive" the topic of armor were made during the First World War. However, the technologies and materials of that time made such protection inconvenient and heavy. In the Great Patriotic War, steel breastplates and armor appeared, in particular, Soviet assault units were equipped with them.
Over the decades that have passed since those days, we have made significant progress: if the steel breastplate of the WWII era was not penetrated by a bullet with a lead core from an MP-38/40 submachine gun at a range of 25-30 meters, then our modern bulletproof vests protect soldiers when fired from a rifle with armor-piercing incendiary bullets from a range of 10 meters, while an acceptable level of concussion injury is provided in case of non-penetration. a serviceman.
– How will the appearance of such composite "armor" change the nature of modern warfare?– Now there are several approaches to conducting military operations in the distant and not very distant future.
One approach assumes that people will not fight at all – instead, robots and drones will perform combat tasks, which are already being massively used today. However, cars by themselves cannot occupy certain borders and territories, a person enters there in any case. To do this, he, of course, must be protected as much as possible, so all the leading armies of the world, and we are no exception here, are considering the possibility of creating such an "iron man". We have already seen it in the cinema, and as history shows, all modern technology that once seemed fantastic, be it phones, airplanes and spaceships, sooner or later becomes embodied in the real world.
– What goals does Armocom set for itself for 2023?– I have already mentioned the two-fold increase in production.
Our main goal is to improve the protection of our soldiers: we have already equipped infantry and armored vehicle crews. Aviation crews remain "defenseless" for the time being – this is an issue that we and our partners will solve. In addition, the task of booking military, and not only military equipment, does not go anywhere. At the front, we have not only tanks, but also, for example, UAZs. We also reserve such samples of initially civilian equipment.
And of course it is worth mentioning that along with the development of new products, it is necessary to modernize existing serial samples, increase their production and improve technologies.
