PARIS — Euronaval, a naval and maritime defense trade show, is to be held amid buoyant demand in a $40 billion world market, as navies seek to acquire ships and submarines to protect coasts, conduct surveillance over economic zones and project force with a blue water navy, said Patrick Boissier, chairman of Groupement des Industries de Construction et Activités Navales (Gican).
Gican is a trade association that organizes the military maritime exhibition, which runs Oct. 17-19 at Le Bourget, a business center and airport just outside the French capital. The French Ministry of Defence, with support from the Direction Générale de l'Armement procurement office, the Navy and the General Secretariat of the Sea, backs the exhibition.
The US, being the largest national naval market, is stable with annual sales of some $12 billion, Boissier told a news conference, while the region comprising Southeast Asia, India and Australia has sales worth some $12 billion, excluding future submarine deals.
Europe has steady sales of $10-11 billion, while China and Russia each are acquiring some $3-4 billion.
There is strong interest in submarines, with 45 countries sailing some 450 boats, he said.
Export prospects are seen as strong, ranging from the Asia-Pacific, Canada, the Middle East and Africa, spanning heavily armed warships through maritime surveillance to fast patrol boats. China, Japan and South Korea are active in exports, with Turkey also seeking foreign deals.
Euronaval has booked for the first time Denmark and Japan as exhibitor nations, said Gican Delegate General Hugues du Plessis d’Argentré. Eighteen US companies will be at the exhibition, he told a news conference on Sept. 19.
That compares to 14 American firms in the previous show in 2014.
The show has signed up 391 exhibitors, up some 10 percent from 355, with 56 percent from overseas compared to 55 percent.
Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie (CMN), a company based in Cherbourg, northwest France, is one of the official partners for the show. CMN won a deal to supply the Lebanese Navy with three Combattante FS56s in a deal worth some €250 million (US $281 million), business paper La Tribune reported. The patrol missile boat beat rival offers from DCNS and Raidco.
DCNS, iXblue and Lockheed Martin are the other official partners.
Among firms booked for the first time are Turkish electronics company Aselsan and Australian company Austal, whose US subsidiary is building the littoral combat ship in the Independence class.
Elbit Systems, Israel Shipyards, and Ferretti Security and Defence of Italy are among new exhibitors, along with Tokyo Keiki of Japan and Palfinger Marine of Austria. Eden, a French industry association, will also be at the show for the first time. Vietnam is one of the delegations invited by France.
On static display will be an NH90 helicopter, Ecume semi-rigid commando boat, F21 heavy torpedo and equipment for the Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft. A vehicule blinde de combat et d’infanterie (VBCI), an eight-wheeled infantry fighting vehicle, will also be on show.
The show organizer had hoped to have on display a V-22 tiltrotor aircraft, but that could not be arranged.
