The military tends to be at the forefront of many technological advances, pushing the envelope and taking technology down new avenues, but it seems that when it comes to tactical uniforms, three of the most powerful countries in the world have chosen three completely different roads.
Russia, The Exoskeleton. The Russians have a reputation for preferring brute force over finesse, so the fact that they opted for the Exoskeleton route isn't very surprising, but what the actual suits are capable of, is very much so. The Ratnik-3 Combat suit from Rostec is a lightweight carbon fiber active exoskeleton that weighs just 13 pounds but enables a soldier to easily carry 130 pounds of kit over rough terrain. There are multiple versions available, a basic passive version for soldiers who are transporting equipment, a commander's version with advanced communication and tactical technology, and even a sniper version where the suit absorbs recoil and can also be locked into position, enabling the soldier to shoot from any position. The Ratnik-3 system has over 60 protective and life support elements, an integrated heater, water filter, and medical kit, the helmet is fitted with a gas mask, communications system, and tactical display for map positioning, weapons management, situation awareness, and real-time target designation system.
USA, Nanotechnology While the US military is also developing exoskeleton technology, their focus seems to be more on textile development and nanotechnology. Carbon Nanotubes are nanoscale pipes of linked carbon atoms only marginally larger in diameter than a single carbon atom, 5000 times smaller than a human hair! A textile that incorporates a nanotube mesh would be breathable and yet no biological agent or virus would be able to pass through it, by embedding chemical receptors into the fabric it could change automatically to blend into its surroundings. An exterior coating of polyethylene and nanoscale glass particles would act like a non-newtonian fluid, flexible when moving but becoming hard upon impact, this would give the soldier freedom of movement and protection from gunfire. The nanotube mesh would also act as a communication network, this means that sensors could be incorporated into the fabric to monitor the environment and adjust the uniform's temperature or to detect injuries or illness and administer medical treatment automatically. The uniforms helmet would also include nanotechnology, the face visor's heads-up display would offer voice-activated maps, current orders and tactical information, and real-time language translation, builtin cameras would offer infra-red and night vision, directional microphones would offer augmented hearing and all this could be transmitted to home base for monitoring and instant reconnaissance.
China, Biotechnology. China is developing an advanced technique for gene editing called CRISPR-Cas9. In 2018, biophysics researcher He Jiankui carried out the world's first known instance of gene editing in humans by removing a gene from two twin babies to make them immune to HIV and China is now exploring its military applications. While this is still in its early stages, Chinas development of biotech and invasive technology like bionic robotics, intelligent semi-integrated exoskeletons and other biotech implants is a lot more advanced. Future Chinese soldiers could have exoskeletons that aren't part of their uniform but part of the actual soldier, sensors implanted in the brain could control equipment or weaponry, and information could be downloaded or uploaded to the brain almost instantly, optical implants in the eyeball could provide improved optics and weapon accuracy and an "In eye" display capable of showing maps and tactical information and aural implants in the ears could provide augmented hearing and "in-ear" radio communications.
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