The Military Industrial Company (VPK LLC) has tallied up the results produced at the Army 2016 international military-technical forum.
This year, the company has participated in all segments of the forum, with its vehicles shown at the outdoor static display area, corporate stand in the pavilion, restricted-access demonstration area in the defence industry sector and in motion at the driving range in Alabino. In all, VPK exhibited eight full-scale production-standard and in-development vehicles.
An extra positive effect of promoting the company’s products was that VPK-developed and made vehicles and their derivatives were part of the Patriot Park’s permanent exposition and sat at the park’s checkpoints and at the stands of numerous exhibitors. For instance, the Gibka-S surface-to-air missile system, the vehicle of the Kornet-EM antitank guided missile system and electronic warfare systems and command-post vehicles based on the Tigr armored car and BTR-82 armoured personnel carrier were advertised widely. This is yet another proof of the popularity and relevance of VPK’s products.
The hits of VPK’s exposition were a low-rate initial production (LRIP) example of the SPM-3 Medved special police vehicle and the Tigr armored reconnaissance/assault vehicle mounting a remote-controlled fighting module with a 30mm automatic gun. The module was developed and integrated with the Tigr by 766th UPTK JSC. The two vehicles prompted keen interest of high-ranking officials of both Russian and foreign uniformed services and law enforcement agencies.
The company’s exposition was scrutinised by Russian Deputy Defence Minister Yuri Borisov, Russian Government Military Industrial Commission Deputy Chairman Oleg Bochkaryov, Defence Ministry Main Automotive and Armour Directorate Chief Lt.-Gen. Alexandr Shevchenko, National Guard Deputy Commander-in-Chief Sergei Yerygin, Corps of Engineers Commander Lt.-Gen. Yuri Stavitsky, etc.
This year, there have been many foreign guests owing to the purposeful work of VPK’s staff. As far as the guests are concerned, special mention should be made of the Belarusian Defence Ministry delegation led by Defence Minister Lt.-Gen. Andrei Ravkov. The Argentinian, Bolivian, Nigerien and Rwandan delegations led by the countries’ defence ministers displayed keen interest in VPK’s advanced products, while familiarising themselves with them. Overall, more than 20 official military delegations and about ten delegations representing major foreign defence contractors took a good look at the company’s exposition.
The Military Engineering Centre LLC’s designers participating in the forum as part of VPK LLC ensured quick and competent response to potential customers’ suggestions to modify the design or layout of VPK-made vehicles and allowed concrete and exhaustive answers to the questions asked.
The meetings held by VPK’s staff and Russian and foreign military, security and law enforcement agency officers discussed cooperation and resulted in concrete agreements.