MOSCOW-It might resemble something out of Star Wars, but this is the prototype for a combat suit that Russia hopes will give its soldiers the edge on the battlefields of the future.

The high-tech item includes an exo-skeleton, or outer layer, designed to boost strength and stamina and a layer of body armour to shield the wearer from bullets.

The all-black kit also has a Stormtrooper-style helmet with a tinted glass visor and a mini task light poking out of the side.

It was put on display on Thursday at the National University of Science and Technology in Moscow.

A model standing more than six-feet tall wore the suit while cradling a fearsome-looking firearm in a pair of black padded gloves.

His arms were covered in fabric patterned with camouflage print and protected by armoured plates marked with the Russian flag.

On his legs were a pair of bulky shoes resembling ski boots, which were supported by a metal frame wrapped around the waist.

The suit was created at the Central Research Institute for Precision Machine Building, a Moscow-based weapons development centre, RT reported. 

Its deputy chief of weapons systems, Oleg Chikarev, said: ‘On display is our vision of the suit we would like to develop within the next couple of years.’

Mr Chikarev said the suit was being developed alongside several Russian companies specialising in different elements of the design.

Andy Lynch, of Odin Systems, a military equipment company, told MailOnline: ‘Features of the suit include a task light on the helmet for examining things like weapons and maps.

‘It also has a pop-up display that can be used for tasks like examining a plan of the battlefield.’

Russia’s military is keen to press ahead with plans to increase the use of robots, and tested a remote-controlled tank in April.

The Vikhr remote-controlled tank, which is fitted with a 30mm gun and six missiles, was seen being tested on a military testing ground at a classified location in Russia.

It is operated remotely by a driver who can see where it is going through a camera link up, as well as the wider picture via a drone.

Russia also has plans to replace human soldiers with robots to fight on land, air, sea and even outer space.

Lieutenant General Andrey Grigoriev, head of the Advanced Research Foundation, told RIA Novosti last year: ‘I see a greater robotization, in fact, future warfare will involve operators and machines, not soldiers shooting at each other on the battlefield.’