Thaindian News

New Delhi, March 22 (IANS) Singapore’s IMDEX Asia maritime defence show can serve as India’s conduit to the international community for growing its maritime defence industry, the event’s organisers say.

“As the only dedicated international maritime defence show in the region, we are looking forward to be India’s conduit to the global maritime community for India to grow its maritime defence industry,” Jimmy Lau, managing director of Experia Events, the organisers of the May 18-20 IMDEX Asia, told reporters here.

“As a thriving defence hub, we also look forward to India’s valuable contributions at the various activities and conferences organised at IMDEX Asia,” Lau said of the event, now in its eighth edition and which is supported by the Singapore Navy.

IMDEX Asia will see more than 150 exhibiting companies including Lockheed Martin, DCNS, MBDA, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, MTU and ST Marine. The Indian companies that have expressed interest include BrahMos Aerospace and Pipavav Shipyard.

Some 20 warships from various navies will be participating in the event, to be held at the Changi Exhibition Centre (CEC), a world-class purpose-built multi-dimensional facility with both covered exhibition space and outdoor display area.

“The venue comes with a seafront location, offering a panoramic view of Singapore’s eastern seaboard, where integration between land, sea and air assets can be made seamlessly, allowing indoor exhibits and demonstrations,” Lau pointed out.

AMI International, a provider of market analysis and consulting for naval, maritime security and unmanned systems markets, has predicted that over the next two decades, the Asia Pacific region will move past Europe as the second largest naval market in the world, as measured by market value to new ships and related equipment, with only the US set to spend more on new ships and equipment over the same timeframe.

AMI forecasts that the Asia Pacific region is expected to spend more than $175 billion on new ships and equipment through 2030 with India, China, Japan and Korea accounting for 65 percent of this.

“With Singapore strategically positioned as a gateway in the centre of the fast-growing Asian maritime defence industry, IMDEX Asia is well-poised to capitalise on the burgeoning growth of the maritime defence industry in the Asia Pacific region,” said Lau, whose company will also be organising the third edition of the Singapore Airshow Feb 14-19, 2012.

To be held in conjunction with IMDEX Asia will be the International Maritime Security Conference and the Naval Technology Seminar “which seek to share strategic and insightful information and know-how on naval and maritime affairs,” Lau said.

“The various participating navies and maritime agencies will also engage in exercises to strengthen operating paradigms and promote inter-agency sharing to better address the evolving challenges to safety and security at sea,” he added.