About 550 companies from 35 countries will take part in the event
SEOUL, October 17. /tass/. The Seoul International Exhibition of Aerospace and Military Equipment ADEX-2023 will begin work at the Seongnam Air Base. According to the organizers, this year's event should be the largest in terms of the number of participating companies, stands and visitors.
ADEX was first held in 1996 and is held every two years. This year, as the organizers informed, about 550 companies from 35 countries are taking part, while the majority - 347 - are South Korean. Among them are Hyundai Rotem, Hanwha and KAI (Korea Aerospace Industries).
The organizers hope that the number of visitors this year will be about 300 thousand people, which will be a record. The last exhibition was honored by about 120 thousand residents of South Korea and foreign guests. ADEX-2023 will last until October 22, ordinary citizens will be able to visit it on the weekend.
The participation of at least 100 high-ranking foreign guests from more than 50 countries, including representatives of the Air Force command, generals and the leadership of national defense procurement departments, was announced. Nine defense ministers are expected to attend, including Australia, Iraq and Malaysia. Their South Korean colleague Shin Won Sik is to take part in the opening ceremony.
The organizers announced 2,320 exhibition stands, over the past 10 years this figure has been growing and in 2021 exceeded 1,800.
Various aviation equipment, including modern fighter jets, helicopters and drones, will be demonstrated at the exhibition. The public's attention is attracted by the first public appearance of the South Korean KF-21 fighter, as well as the American F-22 Raptor fighter and the EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft. In addition to them, F-35A, F-16, F-15K fighters, U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, A-10 and FA-50 attack aircraft will be presented.
Visitors will be able to take a look at the AH-64E Apache and CH-47D Chinook helicopters. The organizers also exhibited ground equipment, including a South Korean K2 tank and a K9A1 self-propelled artillery installation. Not without air defense, MLRS and infantry fighting vehicles. In total, more than 100 samples of aviation and ground weapons will be presented.
On October 16, the US military announced that a US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bomber capable of carrying nuclear weapons would fly over the exhibition venue twice. At least one flight will take place during the opening ceremony. The organizers clarified that the bomber will not be displayed on the ground.
Representatives of Washington indicated that this year the US participation on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the alliance with South Korea will be larger than before. As part of a demonstration of the United States' commitment to allied commitments, the B-52H Stratofortress will land on the territory of the Republic of Korea for the first time.
In addition to the B-52H, demonstration flights of other aircraft of American and South Korean design are planned. The South Korean aerobatic team Black Eagles will show their skills to visitors. During training on October 16, they left a smoke trail in the sky in the form of an element of the South Korean flag and a heart symbol.
The organizers expressed hope that the ADEX-2023 exhibition will contribute to Seoul's ambitions to take the fourth place in the world among arms exporters. Last year, the volume of deliveries of South Korean weapons abroad was estimated at a record $ 17.3 billion, including thanks to large-scale contracts with Poland for the sale of K2 tanks, K9 howitzers and FA-50 aircraft.