EUROSATORY-2008

The ninth International Land, Airland and Homeland Defense exhibition EUROSATORY 2008 was held in France (Paris) within the period of June 16th to June 20th 2008. Since its launch in 1992, Eurosatory runs under the patronage of the Ministry of Defense of France. Once in two years this exhibition welcomes specialists and official delegations exclusively. The place of exhibition - modern show cluster that covers  an area of more than 120 000 m2 and is located in Villpan, the northern suburb of Paris.

Traditionally the exhibition demonstrates the latest innovations in the field of defense. The business climate at the Eurosatory-2008 has contributed to a record-breaking number of participants. This year the number amounted to1180. The exhibition demonstrated not only the latest level of armaments and military hardware of the land forces, but also the perspectives of their development.

Eurosatory demonstrates mainly various types of weaponry and equipment for Land Forces, including communication means, computers, simulators and logistics, with a strong focus on modernization of existing products. Companies with double-purpose products are widely presented.

One more trend in the spirit of times, that was highlighted at Eurosatory-2008, included the anti-terrorist products, means for crisis control, humanitarian support and peacemaking operations, as well as non-lethal weapon and ammunition, special equipment for the law-and-order authorities.

The most numeric products were presented by the following categories:

• Soldier’s individual equipment and support
• Combat vehicles sub-assemblies
• Lightly armoured and soft vehicles
• Personal protection equipment
• Test and monitoring equipment
• Logistics
• Means of detection, identification and information
• Training and simulation devices
• Electronis
• Surveillance, control, navigation and GPS
• Gun-and- small arms armament
• First aid and hygiene.

Under invitation of military and political authorities of France the exhibition was attended by governmental, parliamentary and official military delegations, as well as diplomatic representations from more than 70 countries worldwide.

In the opinion of most specialists, the Eurosatory-2008 exhibition has become an important event for the global military-industrial complex, both in view of technologies development, innovations and cooperation worldwide and in view of further shearing international market by the leading designers and manufacturers.

The exhibition organizers have noted the increased share among the exhibited items of high-precision guided weapons providing engagement of pin-point targets while causing minimum collateral damage to civilian population and facilities.

The demonstrated weapon systems and equipment covered actually all areas of armaments being in inventory of Land Forces.

Russia is one of permanent participants of the Eurosatory 2008. The Russian exposition at Eurosatory 2008, arranged by Rosoboronexport was arranged with the view of displaying the most promising trends of military-technical co-operation. 12 Russian firms have exhibited their products under the aegis of the Rosoboronexport company.

KBP participated in the exhibition on the basis of the company’s order № 240 dated April 4 22, 2008. The KBP’s delegation was headed by Alexander L. Rybas, Director General of KBP. Main goal of the KBP’s delegation was to negotiate with foreign companies and representatives of MoDs the matters of cooperation, as well as to carry out presentations, and to acquire and analyze information.

Briefly the Eurosatory 2008 exhibition have concerned the KBP’ business profile in the following:

• There was noted an increased interest to the AD missile weapons with the firing range of 12 km to 100 km at Eurosatory 2008. The European MBDA presented its SAM CAMM project with the firing range of up to 50 km and fit for installation on various platforms (land-based, air and sea). The USA and Israel presented their project of medium range Stunner system providing simultaneously air defense and defense against tactical ballistic missiles of short range.
• There are no remarkable progress in the market of ATGWs of short and medium range. Meanwhile, considerable changes are expected in the market of LR/ER ATGWs. European and the USA designers offer multipurpose systems in order to replace the existing systems of this category.
• European and the USA designers offer so called patrol missiles (mini-RPVs equipped with WH). The effective surveillance and attack weapons are being developed on their basis.
• There were quite a number of components based on high-technology: from optronic sensors to the elements of warheads.
• Some novelties among small arms and grenade-launchers are worth to be mentioned: the large-caliber (20mm) rifles with the firing range of up to 2 km from South Africa and Croatia, as well as the Israeli bi-caliber shooting system with a removable barrel , breechblock and magazine.

The armament of light and medium armoured vehicles was widely presented by remotely controlled systems easily adapted to various platforms and types of weapons. the most remarkable are the following:

-the ARROUS-300 combat module offered by FN HERSTAL (Belgium): a remotely controlled turret with a thermal imager and that can be also equipped with various small arms – the 7.62 mm or 12.7 mm machine-gun or the 40 mm grenade launcher, a laser range finder and gun stabilizer (optional).

- the remotely controlled station with a 30 mm automatic gun offered by RAFAEL (ISRAEL) with a 30 automatic gun and that can be additionally equipped with a machine-gun, grenade-launcher, ATGW.

- the PROTECTOR remotely controlled station offered by KONSBERG (Norway) that can be equipped with machine-guns, grenade-launchers, ATGWs.

The analogues weapon systems were demonstrated at Eurosatory 2008 by the companies of the USA, the UK and Sweden.