Corvette Soobrazitelny to head "floating showpieces" at IMDS exhibition in St. Petersburg

06.06.2011 First serial corvette Soobrazitelny will lead the "squadron" of ships displayed at 5th International Maritime Defense Show (IMDS) in St. Petersburg. According to IMDS press service, the Project 20380 corvette was developed by Almaz Design Bureau and built by Severnaya Verf shipyard (St. Petersburg) under Russian defense ministry's order.

Guests and participants will watch Project 12322 Zubr air-cushion landing ship, Project 21630 small gunnery ship Volgodonsk, as well as patrol, counter-terror, escort, and landing ships. Project 667 Lada diesel electric submarine St. Petersburg built by Admiralteyskie Verfi shipyard will moor at the display pier as well.

Two foreign frigates – Hamburg (Germany) and Van Amstel (Netherlands) – are expected to take part in the exhibition as well. Over 360 participants were registered to attend the IMDS, including 60 foreign ones. Official invitations were sent to 91 countries; 38 delegations consented to arrive. The defense show arranged by Russia's Ministry of Trade and Industry will be attended by representatives of defense ministry, foreign ministry, Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation (FSMTC), St. Petersburg city administration, and Rosoboronexport.

The exposition will include defensive products of Russian and foreign companies, naval armaments and equipment. Business activities and visits to military factories are also scheduled. Aerobatic teams Strizhi and Russian Knights along with helicopters and UAVs will hold an air show over the Gulf of Finland.

International Maritime Defense Show (IMDS-2011) is sponsored by Russian government. Initiator is Ministry of Trade and Industry. Organizer is JSC Morskoy Salon. IMDS is held once in two years and took place in St. Petersburg in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009.

The exhibition consolidates defense products of Russian and foreign companies, demonstration of naval arms and equipment, business activities, visiting of Russian defense industry assets, and VIP talks.

IMDS comprises all areas of naval equipment – shipbuilding, powerplants, naval arms and navigational systems, naval aviation, ship basing infrastructure, new materials and technologies. Considerable display areas are given to companies producing equipment, instruments, electronic components, IT, and furnish consulting, financial, and insurance services in the area of designing, shipbuilding and arms development.