The futuristic exoskeleton combat suit looks like something straight out of a science fiction movie.
Keen to ensure that its armed forces are well equipped for any and all challenges the future might hold, Russia's Central Research Institute for Precision Machine Building (TsNIIMash) is working on creating a state-of-the-art suit of Star Wars-esque combat armor.
Featuring a powered exoskeleton, a heads-up display inside the helmet and even a ballistic protection system designed to keep the wearer safe from enemy bullets, the suit is still just a concept at the moment but there are plans to begin production within the next few years.
Not to be outdone, the US military is also believed to be working on something similar known as the Tactical Light Operator Suit (TALOS) which takes its inspiration from the Marvel superhero Iron Man.
Just how many of these combat suits will actually be produced however remains unclear.
"Future warfare will involve operators and machines, not soldiers shooting at each other on the battlefield," said Lt General Andrey Grigoriev of Russia's Advanced Research Foundation.
Stormtrooper armor? Anyone who's watched Star Wars movies knows that that armor didn't prevent those guys going down like wheat, even when confronted with stone tipped spears wielded by living teddy bears. Regardless, I think the US, as with robot soldiers, is probably well ahead of the Russians in this area. North Korean armor that is still under development....
Sadly there is very little merit in such suits in the eyes of most militaries. I can see special forces, possibly, having them. But the 'grunts'? Nope. You're just not that worth it to the military. These suits will be incredibly expensive, require entire logistical support to maintain, require training to operate effectively and, at the end of the day, won't stop a tank shell, missile, bomb or even IED's. Granted we don't know the specifications, perhaps there is a visual scanner for IED's or whatever. Cool for sabre rattling and potentially for special forces. Any sufficiently modern militar... [More]
My message got cut off for some reason. I had typed a lot more, including that the Star Wars plastic suits were worthless against blasters and light-sabers.' The first Starship Troopers movie didn't have the powered suits, probably for budget reasons, but one of the sequels did have them.
The only thing a Star Wars stormtrooper armor was good for was making the soldier a faceless minion, which could more easily exert authority over locals. A stormtroop might kill you out of hand, you can't know. Whereas Johnny the policeman people can identify with.
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