What is the most necessary equipment for a soldier?

December 28, 2022

The history of human development, from ancient times to the present, is organically connected with the development of weapons for defense and attack and with the improvement of the warrior's combat equipment. Bows, swords, spears, and axes to supersonic airplanes, tanks, and space defeat systems. From helmets and metal armor of Roman legionaries to body armor with kevlar inserts and night and thermal vision devices. The twentieth century made an undeniable contribution to the development of military affairs—both in developing new, effective weapons and improving protection. With the introduction of the latest types of automatic weapons, airborne assault weapons, and the use of chemical weapons on battlefields, casualties numbered in the millions. And wars were not reduced. In the First World War, using armor as a means of collective defense became the primary strategic goal in attack and defense. Multi-tiered engineering structures, armored vehicles, trains, tanks, etc. All this ensured maximum personnel saving and gave a great chance to win. Because there was never enough armor for all the warring parties during the offensive and defensive operations, the means of individual protection and military equipment of the troops were constantly being developed and improved. The processes of developing new kinds of weapons are inevitably connected with building up their firepower and creating weapons of mass destruction. All these challenges lead to the search and implementation of new solutions for each soldier's protection. For example, at the beginning of the last century, chemical weapons, unpredictable in their effects, were invented and used for the first time.
In contrast, a gas mask was developed primarily to protect soldiers from poisonous gases. Nevertheless, despite the enormous military losses and the millions of civilian deaths, wars have not ceased or stopped. World War II broke out in the middle of the twentieth century, engulfing virtually all of Europe for many years. The end of that war was marked by the use of the atomic bomb, a weapon of mass destruction that was criminal to all humanity. Unfortunately, it did not bring peace to the world. Local conflicts with new developments of dangerous weapons broke out in its different corners. The U.S. intervention in Vietnam, lasting twenty-five years, is a case in point. The list could be continued by adding the Caribbean conflict, Iraq, Angola, Afghanistan, and other hot spots. What have these military operations yielded, other than human casualties? To begin with, the weapons used during this period have become highly accurate and robust, with various munitions used, stable adaptive communication, and constant information from the battlefield virtually online. Today, the troops involved in the conflict have strict requirements: mobility, protection, and stealth. At the same time, a characteristic feature of the last decades has been the increase in the role of each soldier in a combat situation, which has preserved the soldiers' individual lives in the first place.

Modern Soldier's Equipment and Outfit
The clothes, equipment, and arm that protect a soldier as much as possible from all possible risks in a combat situation are estimated to be expensive. Very expensive. For example, in the U.S. Army, to arm, clothe, and protect one modern the infantryman is more than thirty thousand dollars. And this is justified. Experience has been building up and has been building up for decades. For example, more than two thousand American soldiers were killed per hundred thousand during World War II and the Vietnam War. And that was with the full use of personal protective equipment, of which one infantryman had more than sixteen kilograms. Science did not stand still from this period until the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Progressive technologies were constantly being introduced to improve the combat equipment and safety of the troops. Just in that time, that same infantryman was "hung over" more than thirty pounds of various items numbering nearly a hundred names. And this is even though many defense elements have become lighter and more durable than their original standard. A good example is the body armor and the helmet, where the heavy metal was replaced with lightweight and durable composite materials. The troops were provided with heavy-duty clothing and equipped with optical surveillance systems, night vision devices, thermal imaging cameras, and other necessary equipment. The result was not long in coming. An analysis of military losses during these campaigns showed that by one hundred thousand men, they were reduced to three hundred. The number of wounded was decreased by a factor of three. So what helped make the qualitative leap for saving the unit from combat in the form of the U.S. Army workforce? In the first place is the equipment of each soldier. It's like a Rimbaud movie. A variety of small arms, multipurpose bayonet-knife, kevlar helmet, body armor, knee and elbow protection, a unique gadget with a microphone built into the helmet, which suppresses noise and makes it possible to talk during combat, gas mask, camouflage uniform, special suit with waterproof effect, boots with high ankle protection. A sleeping bag and dry rations with a choice of menus, including vegetarian options, for comfort and morale enhancement in all environments. The U.S. Army infantryman is equipped with high-quality, protective, comfortable clothing on which his life depends. The military campaign in the Middle East showed that the Battle Dress Uniform, which had been in service since 1980, was utterly useless in desert warfare because it was designed for jungle warfare. Hence the conclusions reached and the approach to the soldier's outfit. The personal small arms included an M4 carbine with thirty rounds of ammunition. The bayonet is attached to the rifle as a joint bayonet for close combat, which is separately used as a cold weapon or a tool for cutting a wire or sawing something off. Modern riflescopes, as a rule, are Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight devices by Trijicon, which allow firing at a distance of not less than eight hundred meters. This also includes helmet-mounted night vision goggles, providing the possibility to see clearly at night in the moonlight up to 400 meters. Particular pride is the Kevlar vest, which protects against shrapnel and bullets and can cover the throat and groin if necessary quickly. The helmet protecting the head is made according to the newest technologies with multi-layer kevlar and hard-alloy special resins. Protective suit saving mass destruction weapons and M 40 gas mask for combat and survival in contaminated terrain.
Unloading. The distribution of ammunition and other essential items on a soldier's body has always been an issue. During World War II and Vietnam, the Rangers made their unloaders carry charges. Something similar was used in other armies. In the seventies, Alice gear came into service, with many complaints about it. The magazine pouches were face-folded, and their offset sides changed the balance of the shoulder straps. Carrying two water bottles was a problem, as was carrying more ammo. It is evident that without maximum load distribution without affecting the free space on the chest, it would not be possible to spread all the necessary weight evenly. The Army men began to take the "initiative" on the ground. The commander of one of the combat units designed and ordered for his subordinates their unloading suit, which proved to be excellent during the military operation in Grenada. In the 80s of the last century, taking into account the experience gained, the U.S. army was armed with very comfortable unloaders with removable pouches for magazines, hand grenades, and other equipment items. The gear includes excellent water repellent leather shoes, made in two colors, black, and sand, for use in desert or wooded areas. Polyethylene pads are used in these places to protect the joints of the hands and knees. The sandwich method makes the sleeping bag, where a warm bag is inserted into another warm-weather sleeping bag. This is a simple and effective way to conserve heat—high-calorie meals with an energy value exceeding a thousand calories.
European armies, in turn, are no less responsible for their overseas companions to provide their personnel with quality equipment, using the insulators of the leading manufacturers in the manufacture of uniforms. Due to large orders, the Department of Defense seeks serious discounts from manufacturers while receiving high quality.
The United States carefully and judiciously pursued introducing new equipment for the troops. The system works smoothly and without delay. Generally, mid-level units receive equipment every three years to test and identify shortcomings, if any are found. Over three to four years, this equipment is tested under near wartime conditions. During this time, the manufacturer's defects, flaws, and miscalculations are identified. Only after that is the removal of the old equipment and its scheduled replacement with the new samples. Thanks to the efforts of all the participants of these experiments, the equipment has recently been reduced in weight by one and a half times, armor protection class has been almost doubled, small arms efficiency has been improved, control systems and communications have been combined with the equipment elements, etc. The future direction is active development and broader implementation of interactive technologies using artificial intelligence in some helmet designs and application of satellite navigation systems with the ability to identify in a combat situation using the "friend-or-foe" system. In principle, such a pace of equipment development gives reason to say that within five years, we plan to introduce the following, intelligent equipment and weapons. With advanced technologies, reduced weight with increased technical characteristics increased functionality and energy efficiency. There is a saying in the U.S. military, "Intelligence is one, weapons are any. Guns don't kill. It is the warrior's mindset that does the job." This goes to the question, "what is the most important tool of a soldier?" Experts agree on one thing-their mindset. Weapons and communication equipment weighs a lot, but the fighter is determined to achieve the task at hand that fulfills the mission. This is accomplished through physical, academic, and mental training. And if a soldier gets it wrong and can't follow through, there is no technology today that can replace it.