About 77,000 representatives of military-industrial complex take part in opening ceremony of ARMY 2023 Forum
Head of the Main Directorate for Innovative Development of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, Major General Aleksandr Osadchuk, at a briefing for journalists announced brief results of the first day of the ARMY 2023 IMTF, which has been excelled in business activity of specialists and the work of foreign delegations.
The Forum has rightfully earned high prestige and recognition, and has become one of the world’s largest showcases of innovations and modern products of military use, and has made a serious contribution to the development of military-technical cooperation.
Toda, representatives of 82 foreign states have taken part in the Forum. National expositions are represented by six countries, including Belarus, Vietnam, India, Iran, China and Pakistan.
About 77,000 representatives of the military-industrial complex, scientists, developers and testers of the latest weapons, as well as representatives of the state customer and military experts took part in the first day of theARMY-2023 IMTF. The composition of exhibitors and guests demonstrates the growing interest in the Exhibition both at the Russian and international levels.
A unique feature of ARMY 2023 IMTF was the simultaneous holding of several major international events at the Forum’s venue: the XII Moscow Conference on International Security and the Second International Anti-Fascist Congress.
The opening ceremony of the ARMY 2023 IMTF was attended by defence industries’ representatives of 82 foreign delegations, including19 countries at the level of the Head of Defence Ministry, 19 countries at the level of the Chief of General Stuff (Deputy Minister of Defence), 1 country at the level of representatives of foreing embassies in the Russian Federation and 43 countries at the level of military diplomats, accredited in the Russian Federation.
During the first day of the Forum, 14 bilateral meeting were organized and held, including six by Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation Colonel General Aleksandr Fomin with representatives of the military departments of Myanmar, Pakistan, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Djibouti; three by Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation Colonel General Yunus-Bek Evkurov with the Central African Republic, Mali and Burkina Faso; five by the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation with Mali, Uganda, Bolivia, Burundi and Djibouti.
The guests of the Forum took part in the plenary session led by Deputy Chairman of the Government – Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov, toured the Forum’s exposition during the opening ceremony of the Forum, which was held with the participation of the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation Army General Sergei Shoigu, and the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Belarus Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin.
Special attention was paid to the topi of unmanned aerial vehicles. This area is now being actively developed both in military and civilian sectors. In fact, the topic relates to the creation of a new independent, knowledge-intensive and high-tech industry.
In turn, for those, wishing to familiarize themselves with the peculiarities of the production of innovative civilian products, there have been an opportunity to visit the exposition ‘Diversification of Russia’s defence industry’, which is presented in a separate pavilion, as well as the thematic exhibition, dedicated to the advanced achievements in the field of domestic artificial intelligence technologies, which was demonstrated at the Forum for the first time. This exhibition is presented under the motto ‘Time for results’. It demonstrates the best practical developments and technologies in various industries and application areas, including in certain regions of the Russian Federation. Organisations with the best practical results will act as exhibitors.
Along with the expositions of advanced weapons, military and special equipment and new technologies, special attention is paid to the unmanned aerial vehicles – a field that is not only actively developing in the civilian sector, but also rapidly transforming according to changes in nature of armed struggle within the framework of a special military operation. The level of production of drones of various classes and means of combating them, the development of the system of training centers for pilots and crews, as well as the scale of combat use of UAVs have reached a serious scale. It is not only the aerial use of UAVs, but also the practical actions of troops using drones on water and on land.
Within the framework of the championship ‘Drone biathlon’ for the first time an extended set of events will be held, including static exhibition of unmanned aerial vehicles and countermeasures systems, scientific and business program with participation of representatives of federal executive authorities, leading industrial enterprises, scientific and business elites, as well as heads of leading schools of FPV-drones volunteer pilots training. The championship program includes competitions and master classes on practical tasks of FPV-drone piloting in a complex electronic environment, reconnaissance and target engagement using methods, tested on the line of contact.
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Today, of 15 August, the Forum program will be focused on the work of specialists. A series of bilateral meetings between the leadership of the Russian Ministry of Defence and representatives of defence agencies, as well as bilateral meetings organized through the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, are planned as part of the forum.
The Patriot Park will host events of the XI Moscow Conference on International Security with the participation of heads of military departments, representatives of the expert community from various states and representatives of international organizations.
Within the framework of the scientific and business program, 57 events are planned, the main ones are: the meeting of the section No. 1 of the Artificial Intelligence Congress ‘AI Technologies. Best practices of implementation’; meeting of the interdepartmental working group ‘Regional control centers as a mechanism to ensure the integrated development and security of the subjects of the Russian Federation’.
In addition, the Forum guests will have an opportunity to visit the Patriot Park facilities: training and simulator complexes of the Armed Forces, facilities of the multifunctional firing center, as well as facilities of the center of military-tactical games and others.
