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Defense expo in Istanbul: Ukraine’s Vilkha, Kvitnyk-E, Kaira, and others

The Ukroboronprom defense conglomerate has unveiled one of the largest foreign stands at IDEF 2021.

Last week, Istanbul hosted Turkey’s largest and world’s second-largest international defense exhibition, IDEF 2021. More than 1,200 arms and military equipment manufacturers from around the world were represented at the event, with 154 official delegations from 79 countries attending.

The main exposition includes the latest military and technological products and promising projects of Turkish defense companies. Stands set up by other countries are smaller in area, but no less interesting in terms of what’s being showcased. One of the largest foreign stands was presented by the Ukroboronprom State Concern.

FROM AVIA TO AQUA: UKRAINE’S LEADING DEFENSE ENTERPRISES REPRESENTED ON UKROBORONPROM’S STAND

More than a dozen Ukrainian defense companies were represented at Ukroboronprom’s stand (among more than 20 of them attending the event), including the Konotop Aircraft Repair Plant Aviacon, Research and Design Shipbuilding Center, the Morozov Kharkiv Design Bureau for Mechanical Engineering, the Malyshev Plant, the Zorya – Mashproekt Research and Production Complex for Gas Turbine Construction, and others.At the forefront of Ukroboronprom’s stand is a Vilkha rocket projectile, the Kvitnyk-E guided artillery shell with laser homing, R-360 Neptun cruise missile, and ATGM Skif.

Models of the Project 1760KR composite floating dock with a submarine, the Project 58208 Bohomol rocket artillery boat, and the Kaira-150 multifunctional boat occupied a special spot under the glass.

This year’s exhibition is closed to the general public due to pandemic restrictions, but the stands are crowded anyway. Among the visitors are mostly official delegations (154 from 79 countries). And many are willing to have a closer look at the products by Ukrainian manufacturers.

JSC Motor Sich and JSC FED both have separate stands. These are highly acclaimed companies that are not new to the Turkish market. Therefore, they have arrived in Istanbul not to get acquainted with anyone, but to negotiate specific positions and to expand the horizons of cooperation, mostly with familiar, proven partners.

UKRAINIAN DEBUTS AND HARDENED PLAYERS

Ukraine’s Chernivtsi-based Inspecprom is participating for the first time. They have sealed orders in Ukraine, supplying products to the Armed Forces and the National Guard. The next stage for development is to enter international markets. A prominent spot on their stand is offered to the VPR-20 Sapphire infantry flamethrower.

Another Ukrainian company presented at a separate stand at IDEF 2021 is Spectechnomash Research and Production Center (Kremenchuh Cartridge Plant). It offers services and equipment for the manufacture of small arms ammo of all major calibers. The history of the firm dates back to 2017, when, after the onset of Russian aggression in 2014, leading specialists with the Luhansk Ammunition Plant decided to restore this enterprise in government-controlled Kremenchuh. Documentation and equipment remained in the occupied Luhansk, so the team began to rebuild the capacities, in fact, from scratch. Now they operate rather successfully, with the lion’s share of orders coming from foreign customers.

Olha Budnyk, Istanbul – Ankara, Ukrinform.