MOSCOW. Nov 29 (Interfax-AVN) - Establishment of a federal exhibition center, which will host the MAKS air show, Land Forces arms shows, etc., is underway in Zhukovsky outside Moscow.
"Preparations for the upcoming MVSV 2006 exhibition of arms for the Land Forces take into account the prospects of establishing a federal exhibition center in the Moscow region," Vladimir Paleshchuk, deputy director of the Federal Military-Technical Cooperation Service, said at a presentation of the upcoming MVSV 2006 show and the international aerobatics teams festival to be held at the Gromov Flight Tests Institute on August 2-6, 2006.
He noted that the federal exhibition center would be based on the Gromov Institute, although demonstrations would be conducted elsewhere as well.
Commenting on the Land Forces arms shows, held in Nizhny Tagil and Omsk, Paleshchuk said that the Federal Military-Technical Cooperation Service had certain plans on developing these shows, but that the major Land Forces arms show would be held in central Russia, which is justified by the tremendous capabilities of the Gromov Flight Test Institute. "All these shows will complement, rather than compete with each other," Paleshchuk said.
Viktor Komardin, deputy director general of the Rosoboronexport state-owned arms trader, who took part in the presentation, convened for foreign military attaches accredited in Moscow, pointed out that one of the objectives of establishing an international exhibition center outside Moscow consisted in commercializing arms shows. "Only such shows that make up for the expenditures are a success," Komardin said.
He said that positive experience had been gained when conducting the MAKS air show and the St. Petersburg-based naval show. The experience became an incentive for convening a similar profitable Army arms show.
According to Komardin, Rosoboronexport will be an active participant in the show. "Our exhibition will include latest achievements in Land Forces materiel development," Komardin said. He pointed out that in addition to static exhibits premises for demonstrating combat capabilities of arms displayed would be provided for as the show prospered. "Guests and experts will be able to get comprehensive information on Land Forces weapon systems, a great number of small arms will be displayed as well. We expect the MVSV 2006 show and the international aerobatics teams festival to become one of the most important events in the sphere of military-technical cooperation," Komardin said.