BARNAUL. Aug 21 (Interfax) - Laser, a company in Russia's Altai Territory, has designed and launched production of camouflage suits that make soldiers invisible to thermal imaging systems, Vitaly Popov, LLC PO Kombrig general director and Laser co-owner, told Interfax.
"We have designed and launched production of camouflage, [in the form of] both suits for troops and covers for tanks, infantry vehicles and armored personnel carriers. Our camouflage reduces visibility for thermal reconnaissance and guiding systems, including those mounted on tanks and helicopters and, as a rule, [those] used in sights," Popov said.
It took almost a year to design the camouflage. Its initial weight of six kilograms has been reduced to 600 grams.
The products have been tested by the Russian Defense Ministry, Laser General Director Anton Ivanov told Interfax.
"We have a positive assessment from the Central Research and Testing Institute of the Engineering Forces, which is responsible for camouflage products in Russia's Defense Ministry," Ivanov said.
Laser's camouflage products have been supplied to special military operations personnel, he added. The company has manufactured 4,000 camouflage suits to date and has sufficient capacity to make 10,000 suits per month. Exports to friendly countries are also possible if there is interest from the latter, Popov said.
The suit costs 23,000 rubles.
According to the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, Anton Ivanov, Alexander Popov and Vitaly Popov have a 33% stake in Laser each, and another 1% belongs to Yevgeny Trishin. Vitaly Popov also has a 75% stake in the Kombrig company, while the remaining 25% belongs to Sergei Kovalenko.