War fair hits London

[unhappycamper]

A collection of munitions are lined up at the Defense Systems and Equipment International arms expo held last week at the London ExCel Center.


War fair hits London
By Bryan Mitchell, Stars and Stripes
UK weekly edition, Wednesday, September 19, 2007

The future of warfare came to the north shore of the River Thames last week when the city’s chief exposition center hosted defense manufacturers, military procurement officers and a contingent of media from around the globe.

The Defence Systems and Equipment International — the DSEi — is a biennial event that bills itself as the world’s largest arms fair with approximately 1,000 exhibitors showcasing the latest in land, air and sea military technology to roughly 20,000 visitors by invitation only.

The four-day event kicked off Sept. 11 at the ExCel Center outside East London’s Canary Wharf financial district amid tight security that included scores of uniformed and plainclothes police and private security guards.

Among the exhibitors were some of the most prominent U.S. military suppliers, including Raytheon, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin, as well as British defense giant BAE Systems.

But the show was also an opportunity for lesser-known military equipment providers to showcase their wares.

Vendors from Pakistan, India, Israel, Turkey, Sweden, China, Italy and the United Arab Emirates jammed the center alongside the traditional defense manufacturers to hawk missiles, bombs, aircraft, tanks, reconnaissance and intelligence equipment and force-protection gear. They also offered components to maintain or improve nearly everything sold.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=144&article=48855