From RIA Novosti:  Russia to Get First 57 Italian Armored Vehicles in 2012

The Russian Armed Forces will take delivery of the first 57 Italian Lince (Lynx) light multirole armored vehicles (LMV) before the end of the current year, Defense Ministry press secretary Irina Kovalchuk said on Wednesday.

“These machines will go primarily to the Southern Military District,” she said.

The district incorporates Russia’s troubled North Caucasus republics.

From RIA NovostI:  New French Rebreathers for Russian Navy Divers

The Russian Black Sea Fleet is considering replacing Soviet-made underwater breathing equipment used by its combat divers with new French-produced Amphora closed circuit rebreathers, a Defense Ministry spokesman said on Monday.

The respirators are currently being tested, the spokesman said. If the tests are successful, they would replace IDA-71 individual breathing apparatuses that have been used by Soviet and Russian navy divers since 1971.  (photo: Suradnik 13)

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