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World renowned firms to participate in IDEAS 2004
M RAFIQ GORAYA
ISLAMABAD : Leading American, European, and Chinese arms manufacturing companies are set to participate in Pakistan's third exhibition of weapons to be held at Karachi Expo Centre from September 14 to 17, well placed sources of the Defence Export Promotion Organisation (DEPO) told Business Recorder here on Sunday.
The sources that the forum of 'IDEAS' is gaining recognition among the international weapon manufacturing companies as more than two dozen of them including the world famous Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Volvo, Norinco and Fiar will exhibit their products at 2004 show.
The government of Pakistan initiated the 'IDEAS' in year 2000 with a slogan "Arms for Peace" to diversify its exports and earn much needed foreign exchange as its traditional exports were not picking up and the country was facing acute imbalance of trade.
The defence experts are of the view that Pakistan has attained a greater degree of maturity in the manufacturing of light and heavy-grade weaponry.
At present, Pakistan is exporting medium-grade weapons like assault rifles, hand grenades of different degrees, mortar bombs and spare parts of Heckler and Koch's mp582 to various European, African and Middle East countries.
According to Pakistan Ordnance Factories sources, the export of light-grade weaponry to United Kingdom has attained new heights.
These sources however maintained complete privacy about the figures, but said that major export to European and American markets remained light grade weaponry and mortar bombs.
They said that two other facilities, Pakistan Aeronautical Complex at Kamra and Heavy Industries Taxila, have stuck agreements with different middle eastern countries for the export of Pakistan's main battle tank (MBT) Al-Khalid, armoured personnel carrier (APC) m113 and its variants, trainer aircraft Mushak and heavy-grade artillery ammunition.
Pakistan has also indigenously developed 'Night Vision Devices' for its armoured fleet and is set to export this sophisticated item to friendly countries because of its cost effectiveness.
The sources said that Pakistan has recently initiated serial production of airborne radar 'Griffo' for the up-gradation of PAF's mainstay Mirages. Pakistan's collaboration in avionics technology with Italy, Sweden and France has crossed third decade.
The forum of IDEAS provides the exhibitors opportunities to engage into bilateral and multilateral agreements for the joint manufacturing of new weapon systems.
Pakistan has also forged greater degree of collaboration with the People's Republic of China from where it has successfully managed to initiate serial production of MBT Al-Khalid and Al-Zarara.
It is worth mentioning here that for the protection of the tanks, Pakistan has domestically invented ERA plates.
These plates destroy the anti-tank missiles. Likewise, Pakistan has improvised the Chinese anti-tank weapon system 'Green Arrow' with its indigenous designation "Baktar Shikan".
In air force, Pakistan and China have managed to initiate jet-trainers 'K-8' and multirole jets 'JF-17'.
In navy, Pakistan has managed to absorb the Augosta Submarine systems and at present the AWC is working on a programme to evolve Pakistan's long-range missiles from submarines.
Famous defence publications like Janes and Military Technology are giving extensive coverage to the development of different defence systems in Pakistan.
Pakistan Army has gone few steps ahead in forging meaningful collaboration with Land Rover of the United Kingdom for soft land vehicles, which at later stages will be assembled in Pakistan.
So far, Pakistan has been effectively participating in various international defence shows like DSEI (Defence Systems Equipment International) and Farnbrough, UK and Abu Dhabi's IDEX.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2004
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