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The equipment a soldier carries into combat is vitally important not just to mission success but also to the wellbeing of the combatant and their colleagues. In our soldier systems special, we look at the latest systems aiming to improve situational awareness, lethality and survivability.

Russia’s Ratnik soldier system is designed to improve the connectivity and combat effectiveness of combat personnel in the Russian Armed Forces and has recently been deployed. We look at the constituent gear, how it was developed and how it is being used.

The US Army Research Laboratory is looking to emerging technology to equip future troops. We ask how biotechnology, brain-computer interfaces, augmented reality headsets and adaptive camouflage, among others, could change the face of the future battlespace.

Hanwha Systems has secured a contract to develop a smartphone-based individual battlefield visualisation system by 2024 for use by the South Korean military. We find out how it will link a soldier's weapon sight with smartphone-based information processors, personal radios, and tactical multiband multirole radios to provide better battlefield situational awareness.

And after a year unlike any other draws to a close, we identify the most important defence themes we’ve seen emerge during 2021 and take a look back at the stories we wrote about them.