On 17-21 June, another edition of the Eurosatory International Defence Technology and Military Technology Fair, the largest event of its kind in Europe, took place in Paris. Over 2,000 companies from more than sixty countries, including the Czech Republic, presented their military equipment and systems at the fair. And it is the Czech representatives of the defence industry that we will focus on in this article.

Video: Czech participation at the prestigious Eurosatory 2024 / CZ DEFENCE

Traditionally, the Czechoslovak Group (CSG) had the largest presentation stand, which this year again brought a demonstrator of the self-propelled howitzer MORANA to Paris. This artillery system is still being tested and continuously improved to meet the highest requirements.

This year, the CSG stand also hosted a world premiere in the form of the introduction of the 3rd generation of the Tatra Force model series for military use. The most visible feature of the latest generation of Tatra Force is the newly designed cab, both in short (two-door) and long (four-door) versions with a number of superior safety features, improved interior or digitized dashboard and modern electronics.

The exhibited product portfolio of CSG Holding also included large-calibre ammunition and selected systems from Retia, such as the unique small portable radar that detects living beings behind walls ReTwis 5+, multi-purpose 3D radar for detection and simultaneous tracking of ground targets and slow low-flying targets with a small reflecting surface ReGuard.

This year's Eurosatory saw another world premiere of the new Bren 3 rifle from Česká zbrojovka. The weapon should stand out mainly for its high accuracy, extreme durability, great shooting comfort and absolute reliability.

The attention of visitors was also attracted by MARS 4x4 vehicles from the Czech company SVOS. There was a previously presented variant of the vehicle with an integrated anti-aircraft system RBS 70 NG and a new variant with a weapon station Gladius 12 from EVPÚ Defence.

At this year's Eurosatory, EVPÚ Defence, in addition to its selected weapon stations, also presented a novelty in the form of the ARGUS wearable laser warning system. The system takes its name from the Greek myth of the stoic giant that never sleeps and represents a pioneering solution in tactical equipment aimed at increasing soldiers' survivability and improving their situational awareness on the battlefield.

Another Czech exhibitor was STV Group, which is currently the only manufacturer of large-calibre ammunition in the Czech Republic. In the past, we have already had the opportunity to personally see the filling of large-calibre ammunition with explosives through the technology of augering, and currently STV Group is further expanding its capabilities in the production of large-calibre ammunition.

The Czech representation at the prestigious Paris trade fair also included members of the Omipol Group, namely ERA, which has been a leading developer of systems and technologies for tracking and target recognition on the multistatic principle for many years, and Mesit, which specialises in the production of highly specialised systems such as various tactical communication devices, vehicle intercoms and headsets.

Also on display, among other things, was Meopta's portfolio of high-quality products in the field of optics for imaging and lighting systems.

In addition to the aforementioned representatives of the Czech defence industry, other major Czech companies such as Quittner & Schimek, Ray Service, ANV and others were present at this year's Paris trade fair.

At this year's Eurosatory, we could once again see that representatives of the Czech defence industry can produce modern systems at a world-class level, which they can also present excellently. The high quality and competitiveness of the products of Czech companies was confirmed to our editorial team by the President of the Defence and Security Industry Association of the Czech Republic, Jiří Hynek.

Source: Eurosatory 2024