This year the IDEX exhibition marks its 30th anniversary. Russia has been a constant participant in this one of the most representative international exhibitions of weapons and security technologies since the first exhibition in 1993. We tell you what Rostec enterprises represent in Abu Dhabi this time.
One of the largest in the world
The 16th International Arms Conference and Exhibition IDEX-2023 takes place on February 20-24 in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates). The exhibition is held every two years and attracts the attention of both arms manufacturers and customers from the armies of many countries. This is one of the most important international exhibitions in the world.
IDEX not only demonstrates samples of weapons, but also conducts passes and shootings to clearly show potential customers the work of weapons and equipment complexes.
In addition to the actual weapons, ammunition and military equipment, electronic warfare equipment, radar systems, telecommunications equipment, engineering installations, and special equipment are presented at the event. All this is mainly intended for defense, reconnaissance and monitoring of the situation on the ground and in the air. Complexes for the naval forces are being demonstrated at the NAVDEX exhibition, an integral part of IDEX.
The previous IDEX 2021 exhibition was the first global event in the defense industry during the pandemic, and more than 62 thousand people became its guests in five days. 900 companies participated in IDEX and NAVDEX in 2021, demonstrating their products, in total, exhibitors and customers represented 59 countries.
This anniversary year, more than 1,350 exhibitors from 65 countries are taking part in IDEX, and the number of visitors, according to the organizers' forecasts, will more than double − up to 130 thousand people.
Rostec products at IDEX-2023 are demonstrated in a separate "Russian Pavilion" with an area of about 1 thousand square meters on the territory of the marine component of the IDEX exhibition.
Tested in combat conditions
At IDEX-2023, Rostec primarily shows the latest weapons and military equipment, ranging from small arms and precision weapons to armored vehicles, airplanes and helicopters. Guests of the "Russian Pavilion" can see more than 200 models of weapons and military equipment, ammunition and equipment, about 150 of which are developments of Rostec enterprises. A significant part of these products have been tested in real combat conditions and are already being delivered to the countries of the Middle East and other regions of the world. This is one of the most important advantages of Russian weapons and military equipment over competitors.
If we talk about new products, then among them we can single out a new control unit for the Tornado-S MLRS, which will allow hitting several targets at once in one volley. The development makes it possible to program the trajectory and range of flight for each individual rocket.
But the 122-mm unguided rockets for the Tornado-G MLRS, also on display at the exhibition, allow you to cover targets in hard-to-reach places, such as mountains and gorges.
The premiere was also a 57-mm 53-UOR-281U shot with a fragmentation tracer projectile. Its purpose is to defeat air targets, unarmored equipment and manpower. The ammunition is used with a unified combat module installed on land chassis and Navy ships.
As for other samples of rocket and artillery weapons, the guests of the exhibition will be able to see the Iskander-E operational and tactical missile system, the Chrysanthemum-S and Kornet-EM anti-tank missile systems.
Separate air defense systems are represented by the Pantsir-S1M anti-aircraft missile and cannon complex and the Willow MANPADS, the successor of the famous Needle, which surpasses its predecessor twice in efficiency.
And, of course, the entire "assortment" of Russian tanks and armored vehicles is traditionally widely demonstrated. Guests can view the T-90MS tank, get acquainted with the BT-3F armored personnel carrier, the BMP-3M infantry fighting vehicle, the TOS-1A heavy flamethrower system and the Terminator BMPT tank support combat vehicle.
The aviation part of the Russian exposition is represented by models of the Checkmate light tactical aircraft and the Il-76MD-90A (E) military transport aircraft, as well as Ka-52E and Mi-28NE combat helicopters, and the Mi-171SH military transport helicopter.
New sniper rifle and electronic scout
The Kalashnikov Concern shows a fundamentally new small arms − the Kalashnikov PPK-20 submachine gun and the Chukavin sniper rifle (microwave). PPK-20, named after Viktor Kalashnikov, the son of the legendary designer, is intended primarily for special forces. The weapon can be equipped with a quick-release silencer, various modern sighting systems and other equipment, works with any Russian and foreign cartridges of 9x19 mm caliber. Modern, user-friendly design and ergonomics also make the submachine gun attractive to foreign customers.
Chukavin Sniper Rifle The new Chukavin sniper rifle (microwave) also meets all the latest requirements for ergonomics, design, and equipment with modern sights, combining these characteristics with the reliability of the Dragunov rifle tested for decades. The microwave is already entering the Russian army.
In order for the sniper's work to be effective, careful reconnaissance is needed, and electronics in this quality are much more effective than the most accurate eye. The unique 1K144-E reconnaissance complex from Roselectronics can not only detect enemy manpower and equipment, but also count it, classify objects, calculate the direction of advance. At the same time, the electronic scout itself remains completely hidden. But the enemy's infantry can be "seen" by its sensors within a radius of 30 meters, wheeled vehicles – up to 120 meters, tanks or infantry fighting vehicles – up to 200 meters.
1K144-E reconnaissance complex. Photo: "Roselektronika" Complex 1K144-E can be deployed in less than five minutes. Seismic, infrared and magnetometric sensors that need to be buried or disguised in some other way transmit information over the radio channel. On the monitor, the operator sees all the detected objects on the electronic map.
Another development of "Roselektronika" is the anti−drone rifle "Pischal-Pro" − one of the lightest complexes on the UAV counteraction market. The complex is mobile, does not require deployment and can immediately suppress the communication channels of any drones used for reconnaissance and combat. "Pischal-Pro" works in five frequency bands at once and hits targets at a distance of more than 2 km.
For accurate and effective work on the enemy at any time of the day, Shvabe Holding offers its sighting systems and night vision devices at IDEX-2023. For the first time abroad, Shvabe demonstrates prismatic sights of small multiplicity PP1 and PP3. They are designed according to the modular principle, which allows you to independently install sights on different weapon systems. In addition, at the exhibition "Shvabe" demonstrates the PN21K night vision device, made in the form of a monocular, and the PN-14K night vision goggles with anti-glare protection.