How close combat troops could be equipped in 2025 and beyond

[@nicolasberesford4933]

This is very accurate. The Army of 2025 will consist of one mannequin, as that is all we will be able to afford with the way the Defence budget is being slashed!

[@ieuanjones7615]

Personnel numbers are being slashed, not the budget

[@nicolasberesford4933]

I think you will find that the Defence Budget has been continuously slashed since the fall of the Soviet Union.@@ieuanjones7615

[@crispybacon9917]

@@ieuanjones7615Technically speaking the amount of personnel should stay the same, if not slightly increase. What they are doing is decreasing active personnel but increasing reserves. Which I think is a stupid idea but I'm not incharge. Yet

[@Daimo83]

Inflation means money can't buy as much as before

[@ilikelampshades6]

​@cjjk9142 And yet every year everyone gets significantly poorer so everyone is leaving

[@ilikelampshades6]

"Unfortunately, due to huge paycuts over the last 20 years and the eradication of the pension, we won't actually have any soldiers to wear this gucci kit in the future, but it is an interesting, expensive competition nonetheless"

[@JC-kz3ut]

Nah. We used to buy kit from our cha cha money in my day just to look 1% more ally. I'm sure gucci kit will draw in all the CoD players up in the North.

[@Phil_AKA_ThundyUK]

And here I was hoping we'd have phased plasma rifles in the 40 watt range by 2025.

[@AtheistOrphan]

‘Only what you see pal’

[@thekraken1173]

@@AtheistOrphan “OnLy wHaT yOu SeE” He probably isn’t talking about a heavy expensive inefficient bulky prototype.

[@BarghestOne]

We more than likely do. It's just too messy for geneva to explain thousands of piles of green goo on the floor on some random battlefield 😂

[@AtheistOrphan]

@@thekraken1173 - Woosh! - I was replying to @phoogle’s classic film quote with the next line.

[@thekraken1173]

@@AtheistOrphan Ah, Terminator?

[@mbe190283]

All great stuff, but can my blokes please have hot water and more than one washing machine between 90 of them in the block?

[@smudgerbugg]

And the only machine you have, the door falls off 😂

[@MexxiUK]

No British Army soldier will see any of this kit until 2040 unless the MoD gets funded properly.

[@orion3253]

The Crye Precision G4 combat shirt is an absolutely beautiful addition to this soldier concept, but definitely won't be affordable unless the MoD ponies up.

[@wasted-blaster.]

Do you need troops to use this kit? That's the one main thing we are missing MAN POWER!

[@User-gd5un]

The main thing we are missing is funding. Man power comes naturally when the army starts to look well equipped

[@Thomas-ul6ic]

The concept is good and I'm all for the boys getting the top kit but with the cutbacks and the poor gear they already get.. I doubt thisll be given. Maybe tier 1 troops but that'll be it.

[@andyr4735]

All I want is a decent warm and waterproof soft shell jacket to replace the smock

[@conradcodfish8638]

They taken the fundamentals of being shot at out off it, for example prone while firing, soldier would have to leave a firing position to see what's on his chest, apply the same to left fore arm so soldier can still be combat effective. Also more gadgets to blast in face in a threat of IEDs.

[@rogerrees9845]

Amazing technology incorporated into the battledress. great job Roger ... Pembrokeshire UK

[@MichaelKng-fk5jk]

Gives little confidence when the boss of the new kit unzips the rear area but, can't rezip in a clean, dummy, exhibition environment. What else is lacking!

[@perryedwards4746]

Anything that can protect our men and women gets a massive thumbs up from me!!

[@someutubchannel69]

Only way to keep them safe.... don't deploy them to a theater of war.

[@splatoonistproductions5345]

Looking good bois, improving lethality and survivability is great! Hopefully once you’ve sorted that and filled out the forces as promised, you can focus on sizing up a small bit, maybe a good 90,000 at most with improvements to reserves brought to 60,000 odd. one step at a time hopefully

[@Daimo83]

The point of all this gear is that they can reduce down even further from 33 battalions. They want 10,000 soldiers not 90,000.

[@splatoonistproductions5345]

@@Daimo83 so your saying the army wants less than a division overall? That’s hardly an army at all, can’t tell if that’s what you meant or if your being serious mate

[@johnallen7807]

My thoughts exactly but with Sunak in charge??? A great shame Ben Wallace has gone, we need an Army bigger than it was at the time of Waterloo when our population was between 6-8 million!

[@splatoonistproductions5345]

@@Daimo83 also I think having a good 90,000 active personnel up from 72,000 isn’t a big ask, that’s 18,000. it’s not like we’re tryna get this future level of quality with 1980’s numbers in the 200,000 odd, so it should be doable

[@Phil_AKA_ThundyUK]

Bit of national service to teach the little gets we have as excuses for young people now some life lessons. A bit like Finland, just under a year or so.

[@Bobbybulsara179]

So all that gear including the battery on their back plus a Bergen? What happened to fight light?

[@Subtleknife12367]

It's now "fight light" as in your thermal signature will "light you up" with all the tech on your back giving off heat.

[@AM-ux3yx]

First issue, 1:44 the zip doesn't go up easily.

[@trouser_accident6514]

Virtus isn't particularly popular? It was unfit for service when it was trialed. You could have purchased a CP plate carrier for a fraction of the cost of that substandard system.

[@Too_many_questions]

Interesting. What was the issue with it? Didn't fit correctly?

[@trouser_accident6514]

@Too_many_questions The entire Virtus system is terrible. The body armour is poorly designed with excess material, allowing no ventilation. It has thick shoulder straps with plastic buckles, right where you shoulder a weapon (Not that you could fire SA80 from your left shoulder without losing your teeth). To top this off, it is a "modular system" that comes with a lockers worth of kit you'll never use but will have to store or bury somewhere.

[@Too_many_questions]

It sounds 'great' :( Thanks.

[@sealandersoundscapes6403]

Sounds like a typical procurement fubar as per usual

[@uzzbuzz00]

You mean by 2035 in real time?

[@bazby2106]

Honestly, personal kit is one thing that the army has been good at getting mostly on schedule. It's the big kit where they trip over.

[@Cynthia_Blackraven_666]

Meanwhile half the Ukrainian military already has a better loadout.

[@ieuanjones7615]

Funny man@@Cynthia_Blackraven_666 😂

[@nickpearce1937]

All I heard over and over again is "we will try" like yoda said, there is no try, do or do not...

[@TommyBahama84]

They'll totally fail (as usual) to have this kit rolled out across the infantry. Some of these desk bound Staff Officers are deluded.

[@ahmadloai2378]

All this technology in one soldier .. and then that same soldier will die because of artillery shell or landmines Imagine equipping all this for a one battalion or a regiment or even a brigade .. in a real war scenario this is a very expensive technology to equip soldiers who they will die in most cases from a stand off range such as loitering ammunition, artillery, mlrs, or maybe from airstrikes

[@nodisalsi]

Not convinced TBH although I'm not a soldier. I think putting all that kit inside a bergen, compressing AR to see-through eyeglasses, hiding the mic and ear piece in the helmet/headgear, and using the gunsight for optics, the attachments to the webbing should be ammo, tourniquet… stuff you can't afford to drop in an emergency.

[@4ugus7in3]

I think the QR code on the NVG should have been blurred.

[@milestrueman4352]

The QR code is just a visual representation of that specific nvg’s serial number, when kit is checked a device can be pre loaded with serial numbers and can scan the qr code rather than manually inputting it into the system

[@JB-ve8ze]

All Infantry should be equipped with PVS15 Nods by now . the crappy single monicular is unacceptable.

[@arighteousname5882]

I agree. Just don't start crying when your government continues to raise taxes to fund the military industrial complex

[@Morningstar_Actual]

The pvs14 is more than capable and applicable in certain environments. The pvs15 isn’t a major upgrade at all over the 14. Have you even spent time under nvg?

[@Weakeyedominant]

​@@arighteousname5882military spending is a drop in the ocean of what the government wastes our tax money on.

[@BroadHobbyProjects]

We waste more supporting mass illegal and legal migration than defence. So don't you worry. @@arighteousname5882

[@Phil_AKA_ThundyUK]

@@arighteousname5882 They can raise it for a good cause for me, but they'd just remove existing spending then top it up with new taxes ergo not actually raising spending.

[@Vkng2458]

How much do all these batteries weigh? How long do they last for? How do you recharge them? Not convinced one bit by any of it.

[@plainenglishh]

I imagine the battery life is rather decent considering the size of it, far smaller phone batteries tend to be able to last 2-3 days with sporadic use. My main concern is how such a battery would react to a rifle round going through it.

[@vvfo]

Doesn’t that screen put a big bright light on the soldiers head to aim for?

[@Iamhassentme]

I feel like it needs more cables. I remember being on tour and thinking that I wished all my kit could be tied together by hidden cabling and that wearing headphones all the time would never become an annoying distraction.

[@HaroldAceveda]

Definitely needs more cables

[@jjohnson796]

While I like the tech, I do wonder how well that kit will hold up in the mud, dirt and abuse common in the field.

[@JCeeDarkStar]

water

[@steveh5005]

No need for a poncho, red lens right angle torch and compass/ map. On night movement. Headup display in future!

[@sealandersoundscapes6403]

I just want to believe you that orders will change but I fail to see it

[@Mystic73424]

why are the sides of the helmet missing

[@wylnd]

Isn't that how specialized US soldiers look like for a decade now? You'd think they would have thermal/nv fusion googles by 2025 instead of clip on thermals as well

[@jbloun911]

Imitation is the greatest form of flattery

[@ChosenMan-be8mz]

Curious as to how waterproof it is? Wonder low long that electrical equipment will last in gayloch head 😅 it’s good they are investing in all this equipment but I wouldn’t wanna wanna be the squad that’s gotta carry all that plus my bergan up a hill in the middle of nowhere at night 😳

[@emexu9220]

As an aspiring soldier joining IN 2025, i can't wait. The gear looks amazing and better than any cqb gear i've used myself

[@TrooperLFC]

all this is great. only problem is, the Army alone should be in excess of 150 000

[@DEFarnes]

So what happens when a bullet hits the batteries?

[@MzLunaCee]

It's called kinetic recharging!

[@sealandersoundscapes6403]

Called real-time fire fighting lol

[@oddsends6048]

What happens when the soldier gets a round to the battery. Can he drop the vest in one second and get away from it as it incinerates everything in a 15' radius.

[@sealandersoundscapes6403]

Talk about caught up in a fire fight lol

[@MrLense]

Maybe the Royal Marines or just SF can get this stuff first

[@someutubchannel69]

Why the armour vests don't have protection for shoulder and arms ? Also I guess that in current wars ... too much equipment is not necessary... I see video footage from the current war in Ukraine and most soldiers don't even have vests... so ... maybe all that equipment is for special forces but not regular infantry.

[@krossbolt4100]

I wonder that too. Surely upper arm, shoulder plates would not restrict movement and give good protection against shrapnel. Even use them to tuck the face behind.

[@krustykrabkk7742]

its just not very practical and not worth the weight, sure the shoulder pads will protect you but the rest of your arm will still get peppered with shrapnel. As for protection on the arms its just too cumbersome, same reason why no one wears elbow pads in the military

[@Gridlocked]

Something to note is that a lot of soldiers in Ukraine are underequipped. Don't use what's currently happening in Ukraine as a baseline for everything.

[@Retired-Tom]

Obviously not planning on using it in the prone position or in the wet then. I'd bet it's not in general use by 2050 but I'll not be here to collect at over 100 years old.

[@sealandersoundscapes6403]

As an ex army couldn't agree more

[@Peterkass235]

good idea going with a clip on versus a thermal fusion unit built in, much cheaper and much more effective and easier to repair. I will tell you the biggest drain on success here is going to be that plate carrier. that is a bad vest and will never be useable. you must go with something better.

[@Daimo83]

Personally I think giving everyone an iphone is missing the point of infantry, and strapping it on the chest is a poor choice - no more "prone position down". Integrate it into the weapons system. Buying another 5.56 weapon is a bizarre choice when 6.8mm is the future NATO round. Glad I left when I did before Virtus too.

[@euskryhtbnfvse4i7ehs4hnvf]

Looking forward to this rollout in 2035!

[@ahmedalsharman]

UK will kit Ukraine army first then by 2035 they will kit the British Army.

[@sealandersoundscapes6403]

10 years behind protected procurement timeliness sounds about right

[@TheBoogeyMan002]

What about the high cuts? Be a nice addition for normal forces to receive them too

[@DMFP93]

Looks heavy, tangled, and breakable

[@monsieurfoupierre]

I think I have broken/lost my iPhone, radio mast, goggles, and onboard computer - ------ just shoot then

[@scooby-doodoo5885]

NOT A CHANCE ITS ALL STONE AGE!! GOOD PRESENTATION!!

[@aesthetic8780]

So its just the crye standard? And civilian clip on thermal? Wtf?

[@swaggery]

What happened when a bullet damages a cord or the battery?

[@epicegging5821]

You’ll have bigger problems than a lack of power 😂

[@bigmanjenkinslittlemanjenk9196]

This is cool and all but when with the British army start the development of mobile suits?

[@KarenNaytowhow]

I think infantry with AR15 fully auto , RPG -7, grenades /flash grenades , 9mm Glock , a suicide drone , they would be well equipped

[@weeman9869]

The DWD has been binned. Just buy a COTS armour system, theres no need to waste anymore money on this Virtus dogshite

[@BossManAngry]

what's a COTS armour system?

[@weeman9869]

@@BossManAngry Commercial Off The Shelf. Exactly like they did with the Revision helmet which is widely regarded to be the best part of the Virtus system.

[@lordbuckethead1322]

Unfortunately they thought it was better to extend the virtus contract for 6 more years

[@bobbates7343]

Well at least the British get full uniforms. Canada does not even have enough helmets to go around

[@Conn458]

About time you kitted our brave men and women properly! Maybe we can finally drop the nickname of the borrowers and stop relying on our friends across the pond.

[@krishm16]

Battery pack in the back? What if it's hit with shrapnel from artillery or gunfire? That's a walking hazard. Someone please explain to me if I'm wrong in thinking this.

[@ChickensForVegetarians]

Most gunshot and shrapnel wounds hits the front of the body

[@darthgzuz]

so they can tweet and shoot at the same time ... nice!!!! Keyboard Warrior Soldiers!!!!!

[@garrywynne1218]

Essential multi tasking for the modern age 😂

[@LRRPFco52]

ATAK has been a thing for many years now, with Blue Force Tracker preceeding it. 1995-2000 Land Warrior had the display helmet-mounted, with a ruggedized mouse pad on the magazine well.

[@garrywynne1218]

@@LRRPFco52 - just a quick question . Can anyone actually read an use a magnetic compass anymore or a map? Officers are excluded from that question for obvious historical reasons🤷🏻🤔🤣

[@Growlerinthebush]

This is like deja vu, we have had promises like this before on equipment for the future of soldiering much of it was just concept and unaffordable like it is now with all the cuts in expenditure going on. Yes we can fight smarter and harder but the financial backing has to be there. The British army has for decades just had 'Make do' and that has reflected in the recent wars we have been party to, we still had Centurions in the Gulf war's for instance.

[@sebjones1566]

Dosent look squaddie proof, lots of things to lose or break on this setup.

[@medic7698]

Well that's alright then. Now all we need is enough troops to use the damned stuff!

[@alexlanning712]

Some time in the future, where the kit is more valuable, than the soldier

[@ellj3186]

Doesn't matter how well equipped you are or how well trained you are , if you walk into a warzone with bullets/grenades/mortars/rockets/mines flying around your getting taken out

[@toby1439]

Did someone say CoD Black Ops 2?

[@WoutBr]

What's the bloke in the back doing?

[@photoisca7386]

In some respects I feel sorry for the Rupert in this video having to remain positive when he knows none of this will ever come to fruition.

[@markbooth9394]

How is the front line soldier ment to take up a prone fire position with that on his chest. Ment to be fight light, haha

[@Climpus]

Thank God you've brought it to their attention - complete re-think now required.

[@llmk2nll]

mannequin skipped shoulder day

[@crashdodgers]

After watching this video, one thing came to mind "Life imitating Art", i.e. it was just like looking at a computer game character that I play, with the exception of the hi-tech electronics and the rifle, just about everything else I can equip my game character with!!

[@English.Andy1]

Is it waterproof

[@groMMit1981]

Thank you sir, hope the decades old UK nanny state gets ripped up soon so end up with good economic growth so you chaps can get everything you need, and increase numbers too.

[@jasonking6892]

More money for the Armed Forces 🇬🇧👍

[@dpbj1957]

If they're still giving off a heat signature, then forget it. As Ukraine has proved, even small drones have a Thermal Image capability.

[@simonrichardson5203]

So does the body

[@garthwick19]

But the tin opener.....what about the effin tin opener?

[@MzLunaCee]

Cutbacks. No more tins so no tin opener. Besides, with the amount of troop numbers being what they are the resup will consist of a Happy Meal and the phone number of a food bank. (We were winning when I left!)

[@garthwick19]

@@MzLunaCee boil in the bag was the end of a great era of tinned compo rations. And the tin opener included in the packs was a marvel of simple, effective British engineering. A real high point for the MOD.

[@MzLunaCee]

Opener, Can, Troops, For the use of. Cheese Possessed was the greatest ration item, that and Babys Heads!@@garthwick19

[@RoyalEngineersVeteran]

Love it

[@dougthebuilder1]

Shame the government doesn't put the same effort into procuring things to save the planet.

[@KarenNaytowhow]

Amd have the robot dogs carry all ur ammo etc

[@Rambocop9]

Canada might get this by 2050 and im not even being sarcastics. In fact, im optimistic

[@jimkavimka4042]

How long will it take for RLC to get this kit 🫡

[@daviecrocket9160]

Got his smart phone for hisher tiktok dancing videos

[@mysticnovelbro]

unlikely you seen our budget lately m8?

[@carllafong9591]

Heavy ,heavy , heavy, more weight to carry

[@yorkshire_tea6875]

In the 50s didn't they do this only try predict 100 years in the future not 2

[@AB-nb7mi]

I like how he's moved the headset mic to touch the nvg's to make it look like a cable that links the two together 😂 very cool

[@Old299dfk]

Love the tiktok holder, getting troops ready for world war meme - where if it ain't on social media, it didn't happen.

[@BRENDANGOSS1974]

I'm a cynic. It all looks too delicate. Looks more like Police gear than soldiering. Will that help you out when crawling around in the mud?

[@sonicelectronic7990]

That weird mini backpack with hard objects in it will not be popular

[@peteabrh-fairest9463]

He is a very young lieutenant Colonel....!

[@Steve-gx1qy]

Given military procurement, we will eventually get this kit in 2045, shortly after madagascar...

[@djtomoy]

UK military industrial complex looks like a car boot sale

[@SuZull]

COD BO2 2025 Confirm???

[@dondouglass6415]

I love tech.... Sadly a minimum number of boots on the ground is still needed and sadly we are passed the point of minimum... Before long we will be left with one, one legged man and his parrot whom of course, the parrot, will have situation awareness.

[@manxman8008]

hmm night vis goggles, the look at phone screen and get dazzled?

[@goodcat1982]

I'd rather see research money being spent on outside the box thinking in regards to making soldiers bullet proof. Armour before toys!

[@fish9893]

I love these comments lol they try n brush the diabolical situation under the carpet 😅 we know what's up ...feel sorry for the service men n women

[@georgegeorgakopoulos5956]

Probably they will have a special tan shield for phosphor burns,and a support bra for spilled guts.

[@pclalramapcrama8419]

Good

[@floridahuntsman7915]

Why not an iron man suit yet?

[@G3LDY]

ill put a bet on half that kit still wont be in service by 2025 and the radio defo wont be lol

[@thehum1000]

Wjat about the enery weapons in the goggles?

[@JackSmith-gv5yw]

Adding more gadgets and batteries that run them is not the way to go.....mules of the battlefield.

[@ieuanjones7615]

so in other words what you're saying, adding newer technology is not the way to go🤣

[@rommelcastillo1503]

With what we have been seeing in Ukraine, infantry need more armor protection for the thighs and even legs, shoulders from grenade shrapnel being accurately dropped besides prone soldiers already in trenches or fox holes. Most seem to bleed.out.or are immobilized due to wounds to the femoral artery leg wounds.

[@LeviLai-g7n]

Special operations German US Russian the Swiss they all have this just saying

[@JeremyHaycock-q4o]

Where’s the weapon? You know - the important thing soldiers use to kill the enemy 😵‍💫