Eager to get Western defense technology to fill its defense gaps without having to spend years and billions of rubles developing it locally, Russia is increasingly partnering with cash-strapped Italy.
Russia's acquisitions have already benefited Europe—it is, for instance, acquiring French Mistral helicopter carriers—and Moscow is now on the hunt for Western armored fighting vehicles (AFV). Officials evaluated several European designs, including the Rheinmetall Boxer, the GD-Mowag Piranha and the French VBCI, before aiming for the Italian Freccia VBM (Veicolo Blindato Medio) infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), as well as the Centauro AFV, which can be armed with a 105-mm or 120-mm gun. A trial campaign is going on in Russia involving a 105-mm version.
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