The Defence Services Asia (DSA) Exhibition and Conference 2016 has established a premier platform for defence industries to promote products, exchange ideas and technologies due to the added value it offered, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein (pix).

In his closing speech today, he said billed as one of the top defence shows, DSA 2016 hosted over 300 top government officials and foreign delegations from 45 countries since it kicked off at Putra World Trade Centre on April 18.

"The first three days of the exhibition drew more than 38,000 trade visitors from over 77 countries, far exceeding our expectations of 34,000 visitors. This year also saw a record-breaking 1,200 participating companies representing more than 60 countries from the global defence and security industries," he said, adding DSA 2018 will be staged here in April 2018.

He said the signing of RM2.9 billion worth of defence contracts on Tuesday exceeded the RM1.86 billion signed at DSA 2014, charting a 56% increase this year.

DSA is not only about exhibiting products but also a strategic centre that stimulates information sharing and closer ties between local defence and security agencies, he said.

Among the leading international defence and security companies at the show were Airbus, BAE Systems, Bell Helicopter, SAAB and Thales, while the local defence and services companies included Boustead Naval Shipyard, Deftech (DRB Hicom Defence Technologies), Sapura Defence and SME Ordnance.

Among the new countries at this year's show were Belarus, Bosnia, Canada, Netherlands, the Russian Federation and Ukraine.

Source : thesundaily.my