"We will take several Felin sets, we are currently
in talks with our French partners," First Deputy
Defense Minister Vladimir Popovkin said on Thursday.
Felin, produced by France's Sagem Defense & Security,
is currently entering service with the French Army. The
system includes a vest containing an integrated radio
and GPS system, a hardened laptop computer and advanced
optronics.
The new Russian state arms procurement plan includes
the creation of a Russian analog of the system, Popovkin
said.
"We need something no less capable than the equipment
that is now being studied by the United States, Germany
and other states," he said.
The Russian military command places the lives of its
soldiers above all else, Popovkin said, which is why it
had concluded an agreement with Italy's IVECO for armored
vehicles to be made in Russia.
He expressed regret that a similar vehicle was not being
made in Russia by a domestic producer.
