National Armed Forces Republic of Latvia Soldier Individual Protection System Concept
2009
Igors Šitvjenkins, Ausma Viļumsone

The state Defensive Concept of the Latvian Republic defines initial operationally tactical requirements National Armed Forces on development of fighting capacity for protection ofthe state interests on a world scene. Considering the fact of membership of the Latvian Republic as a part of North Atlantic Alliance and the European Union and also participation in strengthening of the international safety, soldiers of the Latvian Army should be able for participation in the international operations in geographically distant zones with an uncharacteristic climate for Latvia and a relief, forming for the soldier threat from natural (natural) factors that in turn influences on tactical and technical characteristics of equipment necessary for soldiers for performance of tasks. Unfortunately soldiers are influenced not only natural factors. The basic threats created by the enemy are artificial factors which always are working in combination with natural threats. The combination of factors leaves the influence on quantity of the protection elements soldier carry out and their combinations. Natural and artificial factors working isotropic and influence is possible from any directions. Each person protects by means of clothes priority places of the body according to threat to health from natural (natural) factors. Protection of the soldier is based on the same principle of a priority of protected zones, and also isotropic character of influence natural and artificial factors. To carry out the task of soldiers transfers the body in time and space in the necessary direction to reach the task purpose, despite of that in what kind the purpose is issued, running, jumping off from an armored troop-carrier, overcoming a water obstacle or conducting hand-to-hand fight. In all cases occurs not only body movement in time and space, but also movement of one parts of a body concerning others on how many allows a design of a skeleton of the person, muscle a cover and a skin, and also artificial layers that we know under the name clothes and protection frames. National Armed Force of the Latvian Republic have created Soldier Individual Protection System in which basis lie technical, economical and political requirements which are dictated by a modern geopolitical situation. The Soldier Individual Protection System consists of modern technologies of materials to certain level protecting the soldier from natural and artificial threats on modern battlefield. At the heart of system the principle of layers which depending on the concrete task of soldiers puts on or removes thereby modulating a protection layer on purpose get most effective combination for the concrete task and to provide to itself certain comfort and feeling of safety that allows to concentrate more on tasks and not to think of that on how many wet boots or the uniform. Load the soldier carry on only increasing due to rapid developing of the optical electronic systems and command management systems of conducting fight and reconnaissance. In the western mass media meet publications on a theme of the further development individual equipment of the soldier and systems of its protection. Basically the publications define two directions of the further development: Increases of physical ability of the soldier on means of developing biomechanical technologies and also association of technologies among themselves as for example technologies of various textile materials with electronic and nano-technologies creating conceptually new materials with the set parameters. Researchers of National Armed Forces together with the Riga Technical University keep up with western countries and also continue researches on purpose further improvements of Soldier individual Protection System being based on technologies of the future.


Keywords
aizsardzība, karavīrs, ekipējums, apdraudējums, kaujas spēja

Šitvjenkins, I., Viļumsone, A. National Armed Forces Republic of Latvia Soldier Individual Protection System Concept. Material Science. Textile and Clothing Technology. Vol.4, 2009, pp.68-76. ISSN 1691-3132.

Publication language
Latvian (lv)
The Scientific Library of the Riga Technical University.
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