Russian Expo Arms – 2008

The sixth International Exhibition of Defense and Technical Means of Protection, Russian Expo Arms – 2008, was held in Nizhny Tagil, Russia, within the period of July 9th to July12th 2008. About 500 enterprises and companies from Russia, Sweden, Switzerland and Belorussia and other countries participated in “REA-2008” and displayed more than 3000 products, including 200 live exhibits.

KBP participated in the work of this exhibition for the first time. Main goal of REA is to promote domestic equipment for a wider range of markers and to arrange contacts with new foreign partners on military and technical cooperation as well as to demonstrate the equipment, armament and backup facilities of local production mainly.

KBP exhibited a number of posters and mockups represented its military products allowed for export. The exhibited items of armaments and military hardware embraced the following areas of armament: ATGWs, guided artillery systems, AD gun /missile systems, the upgrade packages for armoured vehicles.

Advertisement films on the demonstrated items were displayed on the monitor at the KBP’s stand. The posters gave explicit information on the technical characteristics of the weapon systems. Taking into consideration the subject-matter of the exhibition KBP presented its developments for Land Forces, in the first place for armoured troops.

The most attractive novelties included the armament with the Kornet-E ATGW and FCS as required for IFV (first of all for the upgraded Russian BMP-1 and BMP-2 IFVs) and the Bakhcha fire module with a modernized weapon system in various versions. For the artillery requirements KBP demonstrated the Malakhit automated control system and the Quartet automatic launching system with the Kornet-E ATGMs. Air defense systems were presented by the Pantsir-S1 G/M AD system, that is the most current-technology air defense system worldwide.

The representatives of ministries of defense, governmental and industrial authorities, as well as members of official international delegations from various countries visited the KBP’s stand. Among the Russian guests the exhibition was attended by the Deputy Minister of Defense of the RF Popovkin V.A., key persons from the Chief Vehickles/Tanks Directorate and the Chief Missile/Artillery Directorate and the Ministry of Industry of Russia. All important guests expressed their interest in the KBP developments.

The delegation of KBP was headed by Salnicov Sergey S. In his summary of the exhibition work Salnikov underlined the undoubted utility of this exhibition regarding arrangement of new contacts and meetings with Russian customers.

“It was the place to meet the majority of Russian manufacturers, to discuss ways of possible potentials of cooperation. Delegations that attended the KBP stand expressed their interest in further cooperation and the intention to conclude the delivery contracts.

Unfortunately, we did not promote the KBP sights separately. They were presented as the components of the exhibited objects. It could be possible to demonstrate our sights as independent products and to prove the fact that we achieved a series production level for such competitive items that will be for sure in great demand”.