DSEi 2011 had the world’s largest display of land, sea and air applications of defence and security products and technologies, yet according to analysts there was nothing ‘revolutionary’. For the first time, the expo staged a number of high level briefings, which were held away from the show floor to provide an in-depth understanding of a variety of topics, including trauma care, defence offsets and cyber security.

The Defence & Security Equipment International (DSEi) exhibition held in London recently had the world’s largest display of land, sea and air applications of defence and security products and technologies, yet according to analysts there was nothing ‘revolutionary’.

From an exhibition perspective, the organisers put the attendance figure a little over 29,000, an increase of 16 per cent over the 2009 edition. The exhibition featured 1,391 exhibiting companies representing 46 countries and included 30 national pavilions making the 2011 edition the largest DSEi ever. There were official delegations from 55 nations—a 12 per cent increase over 2009.

Reflecting the increased focus on security during this DSEi, visitors such as Commanding General Counter Terrorist Operation Centre, Lieutenant General Prapajit Chaowarit (Thailand) and the Director General Indian Coast Guard, Vice Admiral A.K. Chopra (India) attended the exhibition.

For the first time this year, DSEi staged a number of high level briefings, which were held away from the show floor to provide an in-depth understanding of a wide variety of topics, including trauma care, defence offsets and cyber security.

Alongside the exhibition, DSEi presented a thought-provoking seminar schedule on increasing global concern with a broad spectrum of threats, from cyber attacks to piracy.

What constitutes victory and what is defeat in the cyber battlefield? A series of cyber-focused seminar sessions offered new angles to the ongoing international debate, examining the changing shape of future conflict and questioning whether this is a challenge that can ever be overcome.

Sluggish business

Numbers aside, in terms of contracts signed, particularly by the UK Ministry of Defence, the performance was ‘sluggish’, indicating looming recessionary trends. Defence budget cuts are the order of the day in the western world and this had a cascading effect on the defence industry, signs of which were noticeable at DSEi. The UK defence industry is awaiting the 10 year Defence Equipment Procurement plan, hoping for better days ahead.

Inaugurating the DSEi, the UK Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox underlined the importance of strategic defence and security review (SDSR) and how it was influencing equipment procurement and how it was not immune to the broad economic movements, particularly recession.

The Defence Secretary exhorted the industry to tap untapped export markets and how small and medium-sized businesses could benefit from global trade.

UK Second Biggest Defence Exporters

Dr Fox said that the Government strongly supported the defence industry which is the second biggest defence exporters in the world.

The defence industry employs over 1,10,000 people across the whole country and generated more than £22 billion for the UK economy in 2010.

Notable Presentations

General Dynamics showcases Scout-SV prototype: General Dynamics showcased its Scout-SV representative prototype for the first time, developed as part of a £500 million contract from the UK Ministry of Defence issued in July 2010. It is one of a number of vehicles being developed to derisk the programme prior to the delivery of the first of seven prototype vehicles in 15 months. The prototype unveiled is one of the two test bed vehicles and features the Lockheed Martin UK experimental demonstration unit (EDU) turret fitted with CTAI cased telescoped (CT40) 40mm cannon.

Also on display was General Dynamics European Land Systems’ medium trackway bridge (MTB). It has been designed to be easily transported and launched from any vehicle with a weight of above four tonnes, which covers most of the tactical vehicles currently deployed.

BAE’s invisibility cloak: BAE Systems presented Adaptiv ‘invisibility cloak’, which uses a series of hex-shaped computer-controlled semiconductor heat-sink tiles to hide or disguise the thermal image of military assets. Visitors were treated to a demonstration where they could view the technology through an infrared camera. The product allows a vehicle to match its surroundings in the infrared spectrum.

The system called Adaptiv employs onsboard cameras to detect the background and display the corresponding infrared (IR) image on the vehicle to help it ‘blend’ into the surroundings.

Hovercraft demonstration: Currently in service with the Royal Marines, Griffon Hoverwork’s new 2400TD craft performed on the River Thames twice each day during DSEi’s anti-piracy dockside demonstration, ‘Operation Vision’. Reaching a speed of 40 knots, with a range of about 500 kilometres, the 13 metre fully amphibious craft can carry a crew of two (driver and commander) plus sixteen fully-equipped marine commandos.

The vessel has recently been upgraded to allow for a greater payload and obstacle clearance, while also providing weapons and surveillance platforms which remain stable throughout operational manoeuvres. Equipped with enhanced thermal imaging, navigation and communications tools, the hovercraft travels with ease over shallow water, rapids and rivers, vegetation, ice and even snow.

Northrop Grumman’s UAV data management system: Northrop Grumman introduced an unmanned air vehicle data management system to the European market, to allow troops on the ground to “eliminate the tunnel-vision of the battlefield”. Called the heterogenous airborne reconnaissance team (HART), it allows soldiers at small unit level without their own UAV to benefit from the plethora of assets overflying the battlespace.

Tim Beard, Deputy Director of advanced concepts at Northrop Grumman Aerospace, said, “We have got a lot of UAVs in the air, but no one has created a system so that everyone can share the data.” A unit leader simply sends a request for imagery to the tactical operations centre, which then prioritises the request. The HART system then selects the most relevant imagery or the nearest UAV, and the image is geolinked and sent back to the unit leader.

Smallest sniper rifle: The US-headquartered rifle specialist Desert Tactical Arms responded to demands for marksmen to be more mobile and easily concealed by unveiling a much smaller sniper rifle.

The company’s Stealth Recon Scout is a full foot shorter than conventional sniper weapons without sacrificing accuracy—it claims to maintain a one to two minute of angle, typical of its type. It can be adapted to mission requirements by changing the weapon’s calibre and length.