IDEX-2013: could be better
Last week in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) was held the international military-technical exhibition IDEX-2013. This year, the event celebrated its twentieth anniversary and, at the same time, set several records of its own. According to the organizing committee of the salon, 1112 companies and organizations from 59 countries of the world took part in the jubilee exhibition. Only during the salon companies and the armed forces of various countries signed 55 contracts for a total amount of 3,8 billion dollars, and in addition negotiations were initiated for the supply of weapons and equipment. Of course, the IDEX salon is only just preparing to make a full-fledged competition to other similar events. Nevertheless, it is difficult not to notice the constant growth of quantitative and qualitative indicators.One of the first of Abu Dhabi came a message about the contract between the UAE armed forces and the Tula Instrument Engineering Design Bureau. The Middle Eastern country intends to give about 130 millions of dollars for four thousand Arkan guided missiles to be used in the BMP-3 infantry combat vehicle complex. Unfortunately, another major contract for domestic producers was not signed during the exhibition. The Army of the Emirates is currently holding a tender for the supply of wheeled armored vehicles with the formula 8х8. The most remarkable side of the future contract is the fact that the UAE military want to get armored vehicles equipped with the Bakhcha armament complex. The military men of this country have been using BMP-3 vehicles equipped with them for several years, and now, they seem to want to unify the armament of all or almost all armored vehicles intended for the transport of personnel.
According to the current conditions of the tender, the UAE wants to buy about 700 new armored vehicles, the total value of which will exceed several billion US dollars. At the moment, only two participating cars are of interest. This is the VBCI armored personnel carrier of the French company Nexter and Finnish machine Patria, developed by the same company. Ready prototypes of wheeled armored personnel carriers with a combat module "Bakhcha", as far as is known, are already undergoing comparative tests. In this case, the favorite of the competition is now the French BTR. Firstly, Nexter was able to provide higher performance for its development, and secondly, Finnish designers and industrialists, apparently, do not attach much importance to the current competition. Nevertheless, regardless of the final result of the tender, Russian arms manufacturers will in any case receive an order. Since the promising armored personnel carrier for the UAE must be equipped with the Bakhcha combat module, after selecting the winner, an additional contract will be signed with the Tula Instrument Engineering Bureau. There is every reason to believe that weapons for armored personnel carriers will be manufactured in Russia and delivered ready-made to the factories where armored personnel carriers will be assembled. Thus, to the order for the supply of ammunition will be added a solid contract for weapon.
It is worth noting that the contract for the supply of 700 armored personnel carriers is not the only agreement that was planned to be signed on IDEX-2013. Earlier it was reported that during the exhibition the armed forces of the United Arab Emirates will officially order from the company Tawazun (UAE) at least eight hundred Nimr armored cars. In the future, the Emirates military wanted to get another thousand of these armored vehicles. However, for a number of technical and organizational reasons, the signing of documents on the supply of new equipment is postponed indefinitely.
Perhaps it was precisely the problems with the timely signing of contracts that “ensured” IDEX-2013 salon lagging behind other similar events in quantitative and qualitative aspects. Therefore, the last exhibition has actually become a place for displaying new equipment and weapons. It is worth noting that the organizers of IDEX-2013 coped with this kind of exhibition activity, at least, well. Over five days, the salon was visited by more than 80 thousand people. Given the total number of participating firms, as well as taking into account the area of pavilions over 120 thousand square meters, it will be difficult to overestimate the advertising effect of all events in Abu Dhabi.
Yet the international exhibition IDEX continues to leave a specific impression. For a number of political and economic reasons, the lion's share of contracts signed in Abu Dhabi traditionally concerns the supply of weapons, equipment and ammunition of the army of the United Arab Emirates. Sometimes the opinion is expressed that IDEX salons are intended only to interest the UAE command and show it new equipment. At the same time, the pavilions of the exhibition and the demonstration of the equipment on the move are open to all comers, therefore, the advertising function of the salon is fully maintained. At the same time, it should be noted that IDEX salons at one time did quite a lot for Russian defense exports. Many models of weapons and equipment interested foreign buyers after the demonstration in Abu Dhabi. An example of this is the Thor and C-300PMU1 anti-aircraft missile systems, which were first shown to the foreign public in the Emirates.
At a recent exhibition, the new T-90SM tank appeared as the main novelty from the Russian defense industry. He attracted the attention of guests of the exhibition, and also became the only example of Russian technology that fell into the official daily bulletin of the Official Show Daily salon. Nevertheless, despite the many laudatory reviews, the T-90SM remained an interesting exhibit. Representatives of several countries indicated the possibility of buying such tanks, but things have not gone further than words and general formulations. The same goes for the BMPT tank support vehicle. A unique combat vehicle was examined and praised, but in no hurry to initiate negotiations on the purchase. However, it is entirely possible that the show at IDEX 2013 will eventually push the military of a country to the start of negotiations and the subsequent purchase of new Russian-made armored vehicles.
As already mentioned, the past IDEX show became the most productive event in Abu Dhabi in terms of the number of participants and the volume of orders. However, this exhibition cannot yet compare with other well-known events. The potential of IDEX-2013 turned out to be undiscovered due to problems with two large contracts at once. According to various estimates, the signing of contracts for the supply of Nimr armored cars and armored personnel carriers with Russian weapons could increase the total value of the contracts concluded at the exhibition twice or more. However, the parties to both agreements continue to experience certain difficulties. Of course, armored vehicles will be ordered, and, possibly, in the coming months. Only the final financial performance of these contracts will not be included in the statistics of IDEX salons, and no one will be able to pull orders to the next such event, which will take place in two years.
On the materials of the sites:
http://idexuae.ae/
http://armstass.su/
http://rg.ru/
http://vestnik-rm.ru/
http://gurkhan.blogspot.ru/
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