"ARMY" FORUM EXPANDS ITS PROGRAM

The 6th International Military-Technical Forum "ARMY-2020" will be held on August 23–29, 2020 at the Patriot ExpoCentre. This was announced on November 13, 2019 by Sergei SHOIGU, the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, the General of the Army, at the meeting of the Organization Committee for the preparation and holding of the Forum. The "ARMY-2020" Forum organizational structure will experience some changes that will enable its participants and guests to have more possibilities to study its exhibition, hold more meetings and negotiations, and increase the effectiveness of their participation in the Forum programme.

A distinctive feature of this Forum is that it will be held simultaneously with the International Army Games. For the first time, the Forum will start its work on Sunday. On August 23, the solemn opening ceremony of the "ARMY-2020" International Forum will take place and the VI International Army Games will start on the territory of the Patriot ExpoCentre. The joint organization of these two major events will further expand the geography of the Forum, additionally attract representatives of foreign defence departments to its participation, allow representatives of Russian authorities and industrial companies to organize more meetings and negotiations with foreign colleagues.

"Undoubtedly, this will positively affect the prestige of both events, as well as their popularity", said the Head of the Ministry of Defence at the meeting of the Organization Committee. The introduction of a number of Games contests, such as "Tank biathlon", in the Forum’s demonstration programme will make it even more rich and interesting, and will make it possible for experts and visitors of the Patriot park to see foreign armored vehicles.

There will also be some changes in the aviation cluster at the Kubinka Airfield. The exhibition of Russian aviation equipment will be expanded and qualitatively enhanced. The negotiations are currently being conducted with foreign companies concerning the demonstration of the latest models of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The issue of the participation of foreign aerobatic teams in the Forum’s demonstration programme is currently being addressed.

In 2020, the "ARMY" Forum will last for seven days, not six. The joint opening ceremony of the Forum and the Army Games is planned on August 23, the "ARMY-2020" Forum will work for specialists and delegations on August 24-26, and the exhibition will be open for all visitors on August 27-29. The exhibition programme will include separate demonstrations of modern and promising export-oriented pieces of weaponry, military and special-purpose equipment. The Forum will finish its work on August 29, and the International Army Games will continue until September 5, 2020.

More than 2.5 thousand enterprises have already been invited to participate in the Forum. This was announced at the meeting of the Organization Committee by Pavel POPOV, the Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, the General of the Army. The exhibition exposition will be presented in the exhibition halls and at the outdoor area of the Patriot Congress and Exhibition Centre, at the Alabino Military Training grounds and the Kubinka Airfield with a total area of over 320 thousand square meters. The cooperation with foreign partners is organized. More than 130 official foreign delegations are expected to attend the International Forum.

This Forum will have some distinguishing features, such as demonstration of special-purpose software and hardware systems and complexes that operate using artificial intelligence technologies, the thematic exhibition "Victory" dedicated to the 75th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, presentation of the "Era" Technopolis projects and presence of fan zones for the International Army Games.