MOSCOW, October 23. /TASS/. Russia’s Defense Ministry and the precision engineering research institute TsNIITochMash have signed a three-year contract for supplying the armed forces with a set of new generation Ratnik combat gear, the manufacturer’s CEO Dmitry Semizorov, has told TASS.

“The contract has been concluded. Next month we are finishing work under a contract for supplying first generation gear. The work on a new one is about to be started. The first sets will be delivered this year, and the bulk of the supplies, starting from 2015. The contract is extended for three years,” Semizorov said.

TsNIITochMash, in the city of Klimovsk, is the chief contractor under the program for creating full combat gear for the “soldier of the future.” Earlier, Semizorov estimated the annual amount of combat gear sets to be purchased by the Defense Ministry at 50,000 pieces.

Under the Ratnik-2 project fundamentally new small arms for a totally new larger calibre cartridge are being developed. The new gear is expected to provide comprehensive protection for the officers and men and enhance their combat capability. The Ratnik set consists of about 50 components. Alongside new weapons the troops will be equipped with new aiming and protection means, electronic means of communication, navigation and target-finding. The previous generation gear - Ratnik-1 - is already being supplied to army units. It is operational within a range of air temperatures from minus 50 degrees to plus 50 degrees Celsius.

Semizorov said the export configuration of the combat gear is ready for display. It will be demonstrated at the Abu Dhabi arms exhibition in 2015.