The Vietnam International Defense Expo 2022 is taking place from December 8 to 12 in Hanoi. It helps to increase international cooperation in the defense sector, diversify channels of cooperation, receive and transfer technology for manufacturing equipment and weapons; research global trends in the development of equipment and weapons in order to enhance the power of military equipment and weapons, and seek export opportunities for defense products. The event will provide the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) with more experience in organizing similar expos every two years, including the Vietnam International Defense Expo 2024, which will mark the VPA’s 80th founding anniversary.
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Major General Nguyen Viet Hung |
With these goals, the General Department of Defense Industry hoped that the expo would be a success in all fields, at the same time helping Vietnam expand cooperation with international partners, affirm the Vietnamese defense policy of peace, self-defense, and for the people, thereby building trust with international friends while ensuring the early safeguarding of the Fatherland from afar. Via the expo, enterprises in the region and the world will seek cooperation opportunities in defense, while defense and security forces will have a chance to approach and study the development trends of modern weapons and equipment in the world so as to meet all their assigned tasks.
Mentioning the General Department of Defense Industry’s role in the event, Major General Nguyen Viet Hung noted that as mentioned above, this is the first time Vietnam has organized the expo. As the Standing Committee of the expo’s organizing panel, leaders of the General Department of Defense Industry seriously disseminated to its troops the importance of the event, recognizing it a core political mission in external defense relations in 2022 of the general department. Therefore, it has closely coordinated with the Ministry of National Defense (MND)’s functional units to make recommendations to the Central Military Commission (CMC) and the MND in many fields, such as making preparations for the expo’s infrastructure, sending invitations to defense industry enterprises inside and outside the country to join the expo, showcasing Vietnamese defense industry products, among others.
However, because this is the first time that Vietnam has held the event, there are several difficulties and challenges facing participating units, especially amid the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have worked together with relevant units to map out plans for the organization of the event,” he added.
However, thanks to thorough preparations, all difficulties and problems have been addressed for the successful organization of the expo.
Earlier, the MND sent many working delegations to other international defense expos in the region and the world to learn more experience from the host countries in organization, scale, and contents, etc. of the expos.
Talking about the expo’s scale, the organizing panel has prepared an exhibition place with a total area of more than 50,000sq.m., including indoor and outdoor spaces. So far, thanks to the support of international friends, 174 units and enterprises inside and outside the country from 30 nations in ASEAN, Asian, European, and American regions have registered to take part in the expo. The Vietnamese MND also invited distinguished guests to attend the opening ceremony of the expo. The exhibition attracts the participation of many partners, affirming the trust of international friends in Vietnam.
“At the expo, defense enterprises inside and outside the country will introduce their weapons, technological products used by all forces,” said Major General Nguyen Viet Hung.
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Checking products at Factory Z115 of the General Department of Defense Industry |
Meanwhile, Vietnamese products of the MND and Ministry of Public Security will be on display, including infantry guns and ammunition; anti-tank ammunition and guns; mortars; explosives and chemical products; optical materiel; ships; camouflage and logistic equipment; communication systems, radars, electronic warfare systems, command and control systems, and unmanned aerial vehicles, to name but a few.
Besides, the organizing panel creates cultural and culinary spaces for visitors. “Especially, there is also an exhibition area themed ‘Economy and Defense in the Digital Age,’ introducing remarkable milestones of the VPA throughout its history in line with socio-economic development,” he added.
Reported by Ngoc Hung
Translated by Minh Anh