MOSCOW, September 29. /TASS/. The third generation of the Ratnik combat gear may appear by 2022, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces Col. Gen. Oleg Salyukov said in an interview published on Friday.

"We are completing the scientific research on creating the future layout of the Ratnik-3 combat gear. The implementation of the project will allow to increase the performance of a soldier by 1.5 times in completing various tasks," he said in an interview with the Krasnaya Zvezda paper.

According to Salyukov, the total weight of the gear will be reduced by 30%

The Ratnik kit comprises five integrated systems that include life support, command and communication, engaging, protection and energy saving subsystems. It is designed to be used round-the-clock in all weather conditions.

The Ratnik comprises a total of 59 items including various bulletproof vests and protective helmets, a combat one-piece garment, a headset with active protection, protective glasses, a grenade launcher, assault rifles, sniper rifles, munition, a combat knife, round-the-clock reconnaissance devices and unified optical and thermal imaging sights.

Salyukov was earlier quoted by the media as saying that the Ratnik-3 kit being developed by TsNIITochMash will comprise an exoskeleton suite. A target designation system will be mounted on the helmet`s faceshield, while the bulletproof vest will be able to stop several bullets. "[The kit will] use exoskeleton mechanisms, a display system to show information on faceshield or protective glasses and microclimate control and health monitoring devices," Salyukov was quoted as saying by the Rossiyskaya Gazeta daily in October 2016.