The only thing that will wake you up more than a brisk afternoon stroll is a brisk afternoon stroll through a field of explosives that will startle but not injure you. That seems to be Russia's line of reasoning when it comes to this resent test-or at least flashy display-of some armor and/or explosives tech.
Posted on YouTube and then shared to Facebook by Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, the video shows a Russian soldier walking through a whole gauntlet of explosions in some sort of suit, stopping only to cringe for a split-second as each charge fires. The suit is blackened, but evidently not damaged, by the time the the soldier makes it to the end of the stroll to reveal that she is in fact a woman. Imagine that!
It's not entirely clear what's being tested or demonstrated here. Rogozin's Facebook message compares the soldier to the Terminator (not unfair!) while the YouTube video's description suggests the focus of the demonstration might actually be "non-lethal explosives." Whatever the case, it seems clear that these blasts are more for show than anything and probably pack more smoke than actual force. A suit like may be able to protect its wearer from heat and fire, it seems a bit thin to offer robust protection from shrapnel, and the shockwaves of force that emanate out from real, lethal explosives aren't something a mere suit can negate. It all suggests this is more a pyrotechnics show than anything.
Add to all that Russia's growing reluctance to broadcast or televise anything that isn't guaranteed to work, and you can see how this stunt is probably more flashy propaganda than it is genuine technological demonstration. Even so, it is pretty good at that first job.
Source: Rokossovskiy Konstantin via Defense Tech
No comments :
Post a Comment