President Arif Alvi opens IDEAS 2018 with Pakistan's pledge for peace

KARACHI: President Arif Alvi on Tuesday inaugurated the 10th International Defence Exhibition and (IDEAS - 2018) with the resolve that arms production in the country has been and will always be for defence purposes and never for offense.

Paying glowing tribute to the Pakistan Army for securing the national borders and their committed endeavour to counter terrorism,he said the sacrifices rendered by the armed forces of the country in particular and people in general must not be overlooked by the world community.

Organised under the aegis of Defence Export Promotion Organisation (DEPO), the IDEAS 2018 brings together defence industry players from different parts of the world.

"There will be 522 exhibitors from 50 countries this year," the media director of DEPO, Commodore Tariq Javed said in a media briefing.

Besides, Pakistan itself other major exporters of defence technology including China, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Turkey, UAE, Ukraine, USA will have their exclusive country pavilions.

The guest countries are expected to showcase their latest technological innovations while a large number of senior civil and military delegations and trade visitors from across the globe will attend the event.

The event will encompass series of activities ranging from world's advance defence technology demonstrations, an international seminar, three conferences by the Pakistan armed forces, the IDEAS Karachi Show to a counter-terrorism demonstration.

Networking and business expansions through business to business (B2B) and business to government (B2G) engagements and the signing of MoUs are said to be additional features of the exhibition.

Two Russian naval ships will also be visiting Pakistan for port call during IDEAS 2018.

New inventions of Pakistan defence industry including those from Global Industrial Solutions, Pakistan Ordnance Factories, Military Vehicles Research and Development Establishment, Shibli Electronics,Universal Smart Military Systems and Daudson Armoury will also be inaugurated and showcased during the exhibition.

The first two days of the exhibition have been earmarked for delegations, trade visitors and networking activities. Commodore Tariq Javed said this will be followed by an international seminar on emerging global and regional environment and the role of grey hybrid warfare therein from Pakistan's perspective. Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Zubair Mahmood Hayat would be the keynote speaker at the seminar with national and international subject matter experts to present their scholarly papers on the topic, he said.

Exclusive land, maritime and aviation conferences by Pakistan Army, Navy and the Air Force respectively was said to be another significant component of IDEAS 2018.

An air show by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is also scheduled at Nishan-i-Pakistan, Sea View, on November 29.

The fourth day of the exhibition will be open for public. "It will, however, be only for those who may have already registered themselves online to visit the exhibition," said Commodore Tariq Javed mentioning that security of the participants, national and international visitors besides public in general will not be compromised in any manner.

PAF to showcase indigenously manufactured products

This year PAF is participating in the mega event with locally made state-of-the-art military hardware, including Air Defence Command and Control Centres and integrated simulators, a press release issued by Directorate of Media Affairs of PAF said.

Manufactured by the personnel of PAF, these simulators are being used by PAF to modernise its operational training environment.

Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra would also setup their stall at the venue along with a static display of JF-17 Thunder and Super Mushshak aircraft.

Further, PAF will also present an air show at Sea View on November 29. Besides JF-17 Thunder and F-16 fighter aircraft, Sherdil aerobatics team will present a scintillating aerial display.

WEB DESK/APP