The world’s leading defence and security exhibition – DSEI (Defence and Security Equipment International) 2015 gets underway from September 15 to 18 at ExCel, London. It is the largest integrated defence and security exhibition, focusing on key sectors such as air, land, naval and security. It is acknowledged internationally as the market leading exhibition for land, sea and air applications of defence and security products, technology and services.

Organised by Clarion Events, DSEI 2015 is expected to attract over 32,000 visitors, including 150 programmed delegations from over 60 countries, and over 2,800 global VIPs. According to the organisers, DSEI is set to break records in the number of exhibitors going to over 1,500 from a little over 50 countries. The United Kingdom armed forces is backing the show and all the four Ministry of Defence (MOD) Service Chiefs of Staff are attending and will give keynote speeches in the exhibition floor theatres: Admiral Sir George Zambellas, First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff of the Royal Navy; General Sir Nicholas Carter, Chief of the General Staff, British Army; Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford, Chief of the Air Staff, Royal Air Force and General Sir Richard Barrons, Commander Joint Forces Command, will speak on days that are themed for their individual Services.

DSEI will host around 300 seminar sessions and keynotes across seven theatres and four strategic conferences facilitating knowledge sharing and networking around key topics and technical areas. DSEI’s seminars will address the challenges, developments and future of the defence and security sectors’ ever-changing landscape providing the global platform of choice for key government figures and influential policymakers within the sector. The seven theatres are: Air, Naval, Land, Security and Special Forces, Medical Innovation, Unmanned and Global Partnerships.

Six Themed Zones

At DSEI 2015, six themed zones will make it easier for visitors to meet exhibiting companies and view their associated products, either on their stand, in a static display or in a realistic demonstration scenario. Focus areas include, but are not limited to: Air Zone; Land Zone; Medical Innovation Zone; Naval Zone, to include water-borne demonstrations; Security & Special Forces Zone; and the Unmanned Zone.

Each zone will have a dedicated theatre area where visitors can attend free educational sessions that are designed to showcase the latest technologies. Visitors to the exhibition can listen to panel and individual discussions on a wide range of subjects including: best practices and innovations within the medical field; future maritime mine warfare and anti-piracy; synergies and lessons learned between defence and the civilian arena reflecting the increased cooperation and partnership between large security companies and defence primes.

Land Zone

In the land zone there will be demonstrations from major vehicle manufacturers. An exciting new feature for 2015 is the Future Soldier Showcase, where exhibitors will present state-of-the-art current and future capabilities and solutions. It will be an opportunity to discuss new technologies, trends in combat clothing, tactical requirements for national soldier systems and other key issues. About 700 confirmed exhibitors will showcase Land capabilities including General Dynamics; Rheinmetall; Selex; Iveco; Nexter; Patria and a host of others. In the land seminar programme, there is a keynote address by General Sir Nicholas Carter.

Air Zone

DSEI 2015’s enlarged air zone will bring together VIP delegations, procurement teams, and the RAF with the world’s leading defence aerospace manufacturers. An outdoor display area will provide the aerospace and rotorcraft industry with an ideal forum in which to showcase their latest innovations to current and prospective customers, with the variety of aircraft on display likely to surpass the 2013 edition. Confirmed exhibitors showcasing aerospace capabilities include Airbus Defence and Space; Boeing; Northrop Grumman; Lockheed Martin; Finmeccanica; Rolls Royce; TAI; Denel. The air seminar programme will include a keynote address by Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford.

Naval Zone

DSEI’s maritime element will include a record number of visiting ships showcasing a greater range of capabilities than ever before. There will be specially conducted tours allowing key industry representatives to view the latest developments and equipment in its natural environment. The water-borne demonstration programme will include high-speed craft for tackling piracy and terrorist threats, unmanned underwater vehicles, and more. The Naval Theatre remains the main meeting point for knowledge-sharing and networking directly on the exhibition floor. Confirmed maritime exhibitors include BAE Systems; Thales; DSME; Babcock; ThyssenKrupp; Kongsberg and more. The naval seminar programme will have a keynote address by Admiral Sir George Zambellas, First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, Royal Navy.

Security and Special Forces Zone

Amid global uncertainty, the security and special forces zone has more than doubled in size compared to 2013, underlining its increased importance for DSEI. A record number of first time exhibitors are included among an impressive list of companies showcasing their latest equipment and technology alongside a range of prime contractors. A particularly important topic will be Cyber Security, reflected in the Security & Special Forces Theatre and Cyber Zone. This will include the latest on cyber defence strategies, the most recent types of attack and future threats, and recovering from cyber attacks. The zone itself will contain an array of innovative and ground-breaking companies, including Raytheon; Palo Alto Networks; Smiths Detection; CEIA; International Armored Group; Bergans; H Henriksen Rebs and others. The Special Forces Seminar programme will have keynote address by General Sir Richard Barrons, Commander, Joint Forces Command.

Medical Innovation Zone

DSEI’s medical component will provide presentations, capability demonstrations and debates that focus on the advances in clinical care from the point of injury or illness through the entire treatment to rehabilitation. There will be a forum for networking and debating with international medical leaders and industry experts who have developed advances in the field. The Defence Medical Services (DMS) will host a twice-daily demonstration programme on patient care from the point of injury or illness through the entire treatment pathway to rehabilitation.

Unmanned Zone

The unmanned zone has taken on greater importance as unmanned systems play an ever-increasing role in contemporary military strategy. Presentations will explore the latest capabilities, technologies and innovations, and there will be demonstrations of ground-breaking unmanned systems taking place outside across the week. Exhibitors confirmed in the unmanned zone include Insitu; Elbit Systems’; Rafael; Uvision; Sagem; Prox Dynamics; DOK-ING and many others.

Riding on 2013 Success

The 2013 event was a highly successful event in the backdrop of the global economic gloom and recession. From its previous edition it posted growth ranging from 13 to 30 per cent on various counts. According to the Show organisers, over 30,000 people from 120 countries visited the show. This included 97 delegations. The number of exhibitors stood at 1,500 from 55 countries. Interestingly, this edition also saw participation of DSEI virgins like the Republic of South Korea, which not only had a stand but had brought along two warships for static display on the dockyard. India, which is a major arms importer had its presence, led by the Defence and Research Organisation (DRDO), which had a huge stand. Sharing the space were public sector undertakings (PSUs) like the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Mazagon Dock Ltd (MDL), Bharat Dynamics, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited and Mishra Dhatu Nigam and others. This year too, Indian presence is strong and keen on looking at partnerships or joint ventures to propel the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.