From 20 to 24 February, the IDEX 2023 trade fair took place in the United Arab Emirates. It is one of the largest exhibitions of defence technologies and techniques in the world. Traditionally, the exhibitors included companies from the Czechoslovak Group (CSG) holding, including the Tatra Trucks automotive company from Kopřivnice, which presented their products and services at the largest Czech stand.

Video: Czech companies presented their products at IDEX 2023 in Abu Dhabi / YouTube

IDEX is held every two years in Abu Dhabi and this year celebrated its 30th anniversary. Over time, it has become one of the most important events for the defence and security industry from a global perspective. Hundreds of companies and companies from dozens of countries regularly exhibit at the fair. For several years now, companies of the Czechoslovak Group holding and Tatra Trucks have been among them. Their joint exhibition has always attracted great attention, this year it was the largest among all Czech exhibitors and one of the largest among European companies. The companies Excalibur International, Excalibur Army, Tatra Export, Eldis, Retia and MSM Group presented their portfolios.

Picture: Companies from the Czechoslovak Group (CSG) holding, including the Tatra Trucks automotive company from Kopřivnice, were traditionally among the exhibitors who presented their products and services at the largest Czech stand. | Tomáš Krátký

IDEX is held every two years in Abu Dhabi and this year celebrated its 30th anniversary. Over time, it has become one of the most important events for the defence and security industry from a global perspective. Hundreds of companies and companies from dozens of countries regularly exhibit at the fair. For several years now, companies of the Czechoslovak Group holding and Tatra Trucks have been among them. Their joint exhibition has always attracted great attention, this year it was the largest among all Czech exhibitors and one of the largest among European companies. The companies Excalibur International, Excalibur Army, Tatra Export, Eldis, Retia and MSM Group presented their portfolios.

Picture: Part of the Czech representation at IDEX 2023 | Tomáš Krátký

Picture: CZUB / Colt CZ Group stand | Jakub Sondel

IDEX is held every two years in Abu Dhabi and this year celebrated its 30th anniversary. Over time, it has become one of the most important events for the defence and security industry from a global perspective. Hundreds of companies and companies from dozens of countries regularly exhibit at the fair. For several years now, companies of the Czechoslovak Group holding and Tatra Trucks have been among them. Their joint exhibition has always attracted great attention, this year it was the largest among all Czech exhibitors and one of the largest among European companies. The companies Excalibur International, Excalibur Army, Tatra Export, Eldis, Retia and MSM Group presented their portfolios.

Picture: The aforementioned Patriot II armoured car was demonstrated as one of the possibilities of using the Tatra chassis at the CSG joint stand | Jan Krátký

The Pardubice company Eldis presented its entire range of active radars on a model of an airport. These radars include the RPL-2000 radar assembly, which is designed to provide a complete air traffic control solution. The RPL-2000 radar suite consists of the RL-2000 primary surveillance radar, the MSSR-1 monopulse secondary surveillance radar and the PAR-E precision approach radar. The radar suite was complemented by the ERDIS air traffic management software system.

Another exhibitor at the CSG stand was Retia. It presented the ReGuard 3D radar, which it had presented in Abu Dhabi before, but this time it was newly incorporated into the ReCas anti-drone system. The latter is designed for both civilian and military applications and can counteract drones with both soft kill jammers and hard kill tools capable of destroying them. Alongside this, Retia has also celebrated success with a special radar device, ReTwis 5, which is capable of detecting live objects and people behind non-metallic obstacles.

MSM Group, an umbrella company of several manufacturers, showed a full range of modern medium and large calibre ammunition. Visitors to the stand were able to see a range of mortar shells of 60 mm, 81 mm, 98 mm and 120 mm calibre, including the Antos light mortar, as well as 122 mm rocket ammunition and 155 mm artillery training ammunition, all produced by VOP Nováky. The Spanish manufacturer Fábrica de Municiones de Granada presented artillery ammunition of 105 mm calibre and tank ammunition of 120 mm and 105 mm calibre or pyrotechnic charges. ZVS, also part of the MSM Group, presented 125 mm tank ammunition, 155 mm artillery ammunition, 30 mm light gun ammunition and ammunition components such as fuzes, initiating units, etc.

Picture: MSM Group, a company representing several manufacturers, showed a range of modern medium and large calibre ammunition. | Jan Krátký

The importance of the IDEX fair is evidenced by the number of exhibitors and visitors - in 2019, 1,300 exhibitors from 60 countries had their stands at the fair, two years later it was already more than 1,300 exhibitors from almost 70 countries, while the number of visitors to the fair exceeded 130,000.

Picture: Light Assault Vehicle Flyer | Ivo Strejček

Picture: The importance of IDEX is evidenced by the high number of exhibitors and visitors | Jan Krátký