Russia's Arms Will Raise its Riches

The 5th international exhibition of military technique, technologies and land forces armament, VTTV-Omsk-2003 opens in the Russian city of Omsk
175 enterprises and companies from Russia and the CIS are taking part in the exhibition. Over 150 foreign representatives from 32 countries including Belgium, France, Bulgary, Germany, Greece, Denmark, the USA, Iran, Mexico, Mongolia and the Netherlands, have come to the exhibition. In the words of Czech military attachй Rostislav Pilc, he is very much interested in the Omsk exhibition because of the products exhibited there. The attachй regularly attends exhibitions of military equipment, but sees many of the Omsk exhibits for the first time. 

An exhibition pavilion covers the territory of 1,500 square meters where dozens of models of military technique of large size are exhibited. These are last modifications of tanks produced by the Uralvagonzavod works from the city of Nizhny Tagil, the Omsktransmash enterprise, armored troop-carriers from Kurgan, modern artillery and missile plants, almost all kinds of modern military trucks. Specialists and observers from Europe, America, the Middle East and South-Eastern Asia will see a wide range of machines for effective modern close combat; this is the TOS-1 heavy flame-throwing system and its modifications developed by designers of the Omsk design bureau of transport machine construction.

The exhibition demonstrates that Russia hold the newest intellectual weapons. Different high-precision pointing systems, remote control systems and software are exhibited on the stands of the Continent exhibition center. A stand of the Avtomatika works from Omsk is among them; the enterprise produces homing-guidance heads for air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles. Now the enterprise expects to get an order for equipment of 18 Su-30MK planes that Malaysia has recently bought from Russia. What is more, Avtomatika produces stations warning of radiolocation radiation for Su-30; the enterprise may get an order for the stations in September.

The Omsk research instrument-making institute, the Kozitsky Instrument-making works, the Irtysh industrial association are exhibiting high-technologies at the exhibition. The enterprises develop and produce element bases, quartz generators and electronics, the most essential components for the Russian civil and defense industries. What is more, the products are very much promising from the point of exporting; the stands with the exhibits drew particular attention of foreign guests.
A unique apparatus for underwater magnetic communication "Shelf" allows divers communicating with each other and with the base vessel. The Shelf apparatus was developed by the Omsk instrument-making research institute; originally it was designed for usage in the military spheres, the Navy particularly. The apparatus is highly appreciated for its effectiveness.

The largest exposition at the exhibition belongs to the Popov radio plant from Omsk; the enterprise produces unique communication equipment that is popular in Russia and the CIS. This Siberian enterprise designed and produced special communication equipment for the Russia President's plane. The exhibits of the exhibition are adequate rivals to products of the world's leading producers of communication facilities. Director General of the Rolero enterprise Ivan POlyakov told PRAVDA.Ru that the exhibition helps the enterprise not only demonstrate its products and accumulate orders; it also allows to see prospective level of the Russian defense industry’s development.

The 2nd International technology congress "Military technique, armament and technologies of double usage n the 21st century" will be held in the framework of the exhibition. There will be also several conferences, seminars, presentations dedicated to new technologies held during the exhibition.

The exhibition in Omsk provides a number of opportunities for many Siberian enterprises. According to Director General of the Russian Agency for Conventional Weapons Alexander Nozdrachev, the exhibition is always a good instrument of sale, it is similar to promotion of goods through advertising. The exhibition of military technique in Omsk represents a wide range of achievements made by Russian and Siberian scientists, including those in the sphere of double-usage technologies’ usage.  30% of defense technique are exhibited in Omsk, 60% of them are technologies of double usage that urgently needs promotion.

Rosoboronexport representative in Omsk Vladimir Sosnin says that export of military and double usage technologies has increased ten times after the four VTTV-Omsk exhibitions held in the city. This is an excellent result, he says.

Igor Kulagin
Based on materials of news agencies and the newspapers Vremya Omskoye, Omskaya Gubernia