YEKATERINBURG. Feb 11 (Interfax-AVN) - At least 300 companies from 30 countries will take part in the Russian Expo Arms 2004 arms show in Nizhny Tagil in early July.
The news was announced by Valery Rudenko, director general of the Nizhny Tagil Metals Testing Institute (NTIIM), an organizer of the show, at the session of the show's organizing committee held on Tuesday by first deputy head of the Sverdlovsk region's agency for industry, energy and science Vladimir Molchanov.
The organizers are working with 1,900 companies in Russia and other countries both within and outside the CIS, the agency's press service reported. A warehouse for foreign arms and military hardware is to be built at the proving range where the show will take place, it quoted Rudenko as saying.
Work is underway to increase customer service at the Staratel proving range, the report reads. The first thing to do is to complete construction of the Rush sanatorium, which will relieve a part of the load from Nizhny Tagil hotels. In addition, the show's organizers are planning to reconstruct grand stands and set a special observation platform for visitors with a capacity of several thousand people.
The report quoted Nizhny Tagil Mayor Nikolai Didenko as saying that catering will be arranged better in the city this year, and there will be more shops selling books and souvenirs.
According to the press service, the arms and military hardware demonstration program is still under development, but the institute is already expanding firing position and negotiating the purchase of 10 to 15 decommissioned armored vehicles and their transformation into shooting targets. Spectators will be able to watch the firing on large screens.
Russian Expo Arms 2002 in Nizny Tagil was a record-setting event. More than 200 enterprises from 25 Russian regions, Ukraine and Switzerland displayed their products between July 9 and 13 that year.
At least 135 target practices and machine trials were conducted. Over 42,000 guests from 35 countries, including the United States, Germany, Britain, Sweden, South Korea, Belgium, Kuwait and India visited the show.
The event involved Russia's major defense companies such as Uralvagonzavod, Izhmash, Uraltransmash, Kalinin machine-building plant, Chelyabinsk tractor plant, Tulamashzavod, Motovilikhinskiye Zavody, Zverev plant and Kurganmashzavod. They displayed in action more than 1,500 products, including T-90, T- 80UK and upgraded T- 72M1 tanks, Grad and Smerch multiple launch rocket systems, BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle, BTR-80A and BTR- 70 armored personnel carriers, as well as Metis and Shturm anti- tank missiles.