"Interest in the exhibition and the region is always high. It is a major exhibition with great attendance", Mr. Dimidyuk said.
Over 45 countries and 800 foreign firms are expected to participate, he said. Russia will be represented by about 40 firms, which will show over 500 specimens of arms, machines, instruments, pieces of artillery and other ammunition, units and assemblies. "They will be represented by life-size specimens, slides and video materials", Mr. Dmidyuk said.
Rosoboronexport has leased for its exhibition 1,000 square meters in the most frequented second pavilion of the exhibition and 100 square meters of the outdoor exhibition.
The spokesman for Rosoboronexport noted that Russian defense manufacturers link special hopes with the new laser range-finder, which dazzles enemy optical instruments at a distance of two to three kilometers.
Remembering that the land forces of Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have many BMP-3 armored vehicles, Rosoboronexport will showcase a life-size specimen of modernization.
For instance, the updated BMP-3 version will show the latest air-conditioning systems (work with the car engine turned off), Shtora-1 protection against smart weapons, automatic gearbox APP-688, a modern fire-fighting system.
The BMP-3 will also present new electronic driver-assistant and gunner-assistant systems in Arabic.
In the opinion of Mr. Dimidyuk, this Abu Dhabi exhibition is different from its predecessors by "the representatives of Rosoboronexport being ready to hold with customers any talks on the joint manufacture of machines, their servicing, comprehensive multi-level modernization of armored machines and missile-artillery armaments, as well as search for partners in the person of third countries".
The Russian delegation is expected to include foremost designer of small arms Mr. Mikhail Kalashnikov.
The IDEX"2005 exhibition will be held from February 12 through 17, 2005.
