The personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation has significantly increased as a result of the partial mobilization that took place in the fall of 2022. In this regard, one of the critical tasks was to equip the Russian army, which 300 thousand people joined, with combat equipment and protective equipment. The CEO of one of the leading enterprises in the industry – the scientific and production special firm "Assault equipment and equipment" Vladimir Drobyak told in an interview with RIA Novosti correspondent Ivan Suraev about the creation of a two-way disguise for the Far North, participation in the project of combat equipment of the soldier of the future "Legionnaire", as well as the search for solutions that in the future will make Russian fighters invisible to the enemy's thermal imagers.– Vladimir Alexandrovich, what are the main results of your organization's work over its 20-year history?
What promising projects in the field of armor protection and camouflage of military personnel are you working on today?– Indeed, we have been working for more than 20 years – since 2001, although the company itself, where we are now, appeared much earlier.
In 1936, a leather goods factory specializing in the production of "human" equipment for the Red Army and leather goods for the industry of the Soviet Union was launched in the village of Beloomut. At the best of times, up to a million tablet bags were produced annually at the enterprise for the command staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR and the entire Warsaw Bloc. In the 90s, everything fell into disrepair, the factory was idle for several years, until a new team restarted work as a new legal entity – the Scientific and Production specialized firm "Sturm-equipment and equipment", significantly expanding the range of products. The main directions of the company's work are the development and production of personal armor protection equipment, special equipment, tactical equipment and personal camouflage equipment.
Today, four of our bulletproof vests, including products for assault units, are being supplied to Russian law enforcement agencies. There are developments on lighter body armor for concealed carry.
When developing bulletproof vests, we were faced with the task of providing optimal shatterproof and bulletproof protection in the light class and maximum in heavier bulletproof vests capable of withstanding a shot from a long-barreled weapon (sniper rifles using armor-piercing cartridges). Due to the use of new materials, we managed to achieve good anti-shatter protection on an area of up to 80 dm2 with a body armor weight of 1.8 to 3 kilograms without additional bulletproof armor elements.
One of the latest projects of the company is the development of a set of universal combat equipment (working name – "CUBE"). In it, we tried to create a multi-layered system of protection for a serviceman by transferring part of the protective properties of a bulletproof vest to elements of tactical clothing and equipment. Work on this project continues.
The creation of unified tactical clothing for our army is a really serious issue. The everyday form of clothing, which has turned into combat clothing today, is functionally designed to perform completely different service tasks. Conveniently placed in the pockets of everyday clothing, phones, cigarettes and other small things are clearly not essential items during the performance of combat missions by military personnel dressed in personal protective equipment and equipment.
– What promising projects in the field of camouflage of military personnel is Sturm working on today?– This is really the most important part of our work.
Russia is the world's largest state by territory, with the widest range of natural zones and special climatic conditions in them. It is impossible to create a single camouflage kit that ensures guaranteed concealment of personnel from means of detection and destruction in all its natural zones with the same effectiveness.
Thanks to the painstaking collaboration with our partners and friends from the Textile Trading Company (Nizhny Novgorod), a non-standard solution was found. Since 2014, the double-sided camouflage kit (KMD) has been supplied to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation as part of the soldier's equipment "Ratnik". The kit has a two-zone color, with the preservation of equivalent functionality when turned inside out.
At the moment, we have developed three variants of sets of camouflage suits of different zonal colors. This year we will finish work on the fourth variant of camouflage for military personnel performing tasks in the conditions of the Far North and in the middle zone. Ahead of the state tests and procurement.
– How much has the State Defense Order for your company increased in connection with the implementation of the SVO? Did you have to increase the staff, switch to a three-shift work schedule? Do you have enough competent employees to cope with the increased workload?– In 2022, we have increased the monthly output of the State budget several times.
The company has switched to a six-day working week, some of our divisions really work in three shifts.
Our town is small, qualified specialists will not move here just like that. We really don't have enough of them. There is also nowhere to study here in the specialties we need. Once there was a vocational school in Beloomut that trained seamstresses, but, alas, it has long been closed. As a result, we have to take people and teach them directly on the stream during the probation period. Nevertheless, we have increased the staff by about a quarter during our time. Today we employ about 205 people.
– However, in other enterprises of the industry, we were told about the critical shortage of both composite materials for the needs of the army and "ordinary" raw materials....– As for composites, I fully agree, such a problem really exists today, but measures are being taken at the state level, and the first results are evident.
In providing raw materials, materials and accessories for the clothing group, we faced a different situation. At the same time, a queue of customers lined up at the "gates" of the enterprises of the raw materials sector for the same type of raw materials and materials of the same nomenclature, and even with a significantly increased volume. Obviously they were not ready for this.
With the materials of suppliers of friendly countries, there were also big questions about quality, non-compliance with the declared characteristics and parameters corresponding to the requirements of the State Budget. But to the credit of the "raw materials" they solved this problem, and by the end of September last year they coped with the task. The rhythm of delivery has been restored. Moreover, the increase in the output of materials did not affect its quality.
– What is the situation with the technical equipment of the enterprise in light of the simultaneous growth of the state budget and the tightening of sanctions?– Indeed, the challenges we faced due to the sharp increase in the order forced us to carry out a deep automation of production due to the commissioning of new equipment.
– Domestic?– No, we are talking about imported, but from countries that are quite friendly to us.
After February 24, the last channels for purchasing Western equipment, even for non-military purposes, are closed to us. So, we tried to purchase an Italian cutting system, but were refused due to the fact that we are a defense enterprise.
– How did your means of protection and disguise prove themselves during the SVO? How do your specialists take into account the experience gained during the year of the special operation?– We have feedback from the military department and those who are directly in the area of their own defense.
Reviews from the troops are carefully analyzed and, if necessary, we make changes to the design in the prescribed manner. Most often, the proposals relate to the ergonomics of body armor, their technical and operational characteristics.
– How reliably does your disguise hide Russian servicemen from the enemy? Do the Ukrainian military see our fighters equipped in it through a thermal imager?– They can definitely see it in the thermal imager.
At the moment, this problem is more relevant than ever. It is possible to reduce the visibility of the human figure in the thermal range of radiation, but only for a short period of time, with a stable temperature regime of the environment, standard climatic conditions and without a sharp daily fluctuation of these parameters. We have been seriously engaged in this topic for six years and even got quite encouraging results. However, at the final stage of the tests, the "invisible" disguise for the thermal imager got into extremely unfavorable conditions, the so-called "temperature-weather swing". The result did not meet expectations.
– What are the ways to solve this problem?– Fundamentally new materials are required.
Until we receive them, we will not be able to achieve the desired result. We need close cooperation between science and industry, consolidation of efforts in all related fields.
– What will be the features of your promising means of armor protection and camouflage? How will this equipment differ from the "Warrior" in principle?– Research work in this direction is underway.
In our development of next-generation equipment, the main emphasis will be placed on a stronger integration of individual elements of protection and camouflage into a single complex of tactical equipment of a serviceman.
– What exhibitions are you planning to participate in this year? What novelties are you planning to demonstrate, including at the Army-2023 forum?– The date of the forum has already been determined, but, frankly, I doubt that this time we will be among the participants.
This requires additional costs, and we need to save budget funds. The main thing is that we need to concentrate on performing more important tasks – to provide our fighters with everything necessary to achieve their goals.
– What are the main goals your organization sets for itself for 2023?– There are a lot of tasks, but the main one is the fulfillment of the State order to provide the personnel of the Armed Forces of Russia with means of individual armor protection, special equipment, tactical equipment and means of individual camouflage.
