Russian military seeks to buy new armoured vehicles abroad

09:15 GMT, March 10, 2010 defpro.com | After Russian negotiations with France for the purchase of Mistral-class amphibious assault ship has heated up emotions in Europe and, in particular, in the Baltic states (see http://www.defpro.com/daily/details/507/), Russia is now looking towards another western European nation for the procurement of military equipment.

As the Italian Ansa news agency as well as Russia’s RIA Novosti agency recently reported, Russia is currently negotiating with Italy on the purchase of new armoured vehicles. According to Ansa, Russia is interested in buying up to 1,000 M65 Light Multi-role Vehicles (LMV), developed and manufactured by Iveco Defence Vehicles.

So far, no additional information has been provided from official sources, however, unconfirmed information suggests that the vehicle has already been tested in Russia and have received positive feedback from the military. Interfax quotes a Russian military source, saying that “"The decision to purchase the Italian armoured vehicles is expected to be concluded in the near future.” According to the unnamed source, contract price and conditions are currently being negotiated by the involved parties.

The LMV is a four-wheel drive tactical vehicle which has been chosen by a number of European armies for front-line duties, including Italy, the UK, Spain, Norway, Belgium, Croatia, Austria and Slovakia. Designed to incorporate high tactical mobility with high maximum road speed and optimal off-road and cross-country performance, according to Iveco, the LMV has high protection levels against anti tank and anti personnel mines with an emphasis on crew protection rather than vehicle integrity.

For years, and in particular since the launch of military reform efforts in 2008 , Russia is looking for ways to modernise the ageing equipment, often developed and produced in the Cold War era, and to improve the technical capabilities of the national industry. On Friday, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev again urged Russia's armed forces to speed up the modernisation of their arsenal. According to Russia news agencies, Medvedev stated: “I have tasked the government with bringing the amount of equipment replaced annually to an average level of 9-10 percent. That will help replace up to 70 percent of military equipment by 2020.”


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By Nicolas von Kospoth, Managing Editor