By Sangeeta Saxena
Paris. 13 June 2022. Two days of making of the show and today the formal kicking off , it seemed like good old days, when the buyer-seller-researcher and media got together to showcase the state-of-the-art equipment and technologies for the land forces of the world. No fear of Covid-19, no masks and teeming crowds, all gave a positive filip to the thought that world was getting back to normal after a break. Eurosatory 2022 stated with elen’ amidst enjoyable ferver.
On 12th was the Press Day which kept us occupied from morning to evening in live demonstrations while the Halls were getting ready for the show next day. An area is set up to present equipment or weapons systems on a specially tailored obstacle track , staged with live commentary and pictures projected on large screens, ensuring gripping moments for the audience. It gave manufacturers an opportunity to highlight their technologies, signifying visibility and increased footprint. The French Army, French Police, Special Operations Command, National Gendarmerie Intervention Group, Research and Intervention Brigade, The Paris Fire Brigade were all there demonstrating their roles in managing security .
This edition after a cancellation of the show in 2020 due to the pandemic, has attracted more trade visitors than in 2018, when 57,000 people attended. The number of official delegations headed by senior civil or military officials from all over the world, also has crossed the 2018 mark of 227. 73% of the companies attending Eurosatory 2022 European with Russia expectedly absent and China very negligible. French with 650 , Germany with 102 , United Kingdom with 64, Italy with 42 ,Turkey with 38 , Spain with 18 form a major European chunk. There is a noticible increase in the participation from the smaller European countries with Estonia , Lativia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Poland and others.
The cynosure of all eyes is the Ukrainian pavilion, with a stand from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence and four state-owned military equipment manufacturers. The Russian Special Operation on Ukraine didn’t deter them showing their presence at the show.
The American industry is the largest foreign delegation with 144 exhibitors. Canada with 27, India with 29, Pakistan with 9, Korea with 19, Brazil with 18 , Colombia 6, 48 from Australia, 56 from Israel, showcase their military wares for a global market .
Eurosatory 2022 is seeing four emerging areas robotics , cyber security, drones and telecommunications. As the show continues we will keep getting you regular updates. Keep an eye on this space.
