During the International Defense Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS 2024) held at the Karachi Expo Centre, Pakistan signed 82 agreements with international partners to sell military hardware and services valued above thirty billion dollars.
Drawn-out contracts may include as advanced as drones, stealth bombers, commercial tankers, support vessels, electronic warfare, and radar systems, among other things. These were signed during the four-day International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS 2024) held at the Karachi Expedition Center last Friday. While addressing the audience at the closing ceremony, Lt Gen (Retd) Chiragh Haider, Secretary of the Ministry of Defence Production, remarked, ‘Pakistan’s potential export orders amounted to $36 billion inclusive of the MoUs discussed in the previous held edifice of this event’. According to him, these Agreements, although Kinnaird and White would agree that it takes a long to evolve into full-blown projects because of testing, trials, and changes, some of them may actually come to pass in a year or two.
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In the first three years, Pakistan has made $1.3 billion in defense exports, with an average of nearly $450 million per year since IDEAS 2022. Defense Export Promotion Organization (DEPO) Director General Major General Asad Nawaz Khan said that various countries and companies around the world also signed potential collaboration documents with the big defense corporations of Pakistan such as Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT), Pakistan Ordnance Factory (POF) Wah, Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Kamra, National Radio & Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC), Global Industrial & Defence Solutions Pakistan (GIDS Pakistan), and so on. A private defense firm also signed a framework with a Swiss firm for around Rs 10 billion.
The potential of technology-based defense start-ups was noted where 15 MoUs were signed for the creation of the technology parks aided by the armed forces of Pakistan. Among the important treaties was an agreement on the construction of a plant between Turkiye and POF Wah and one more agreement was signed between NRTC and a country from the Middle Eastern region. NRTC Managing Director Muhammad Asim confirmed that NRTC has entered into 11 MOUs related to the technology, communication, and radar systems with the countries of the Middle East and also African nations. He also said that one friendly nation sent them a letter of intent for air defense radars, which may help in getting a significant export deal. Furthermore, Pakistan, during IDEAS 2024, focused on new geographies and new sectors, including Africa and East Asian Markets, and signed MoUs with five new export destinations covering technology, surveillance, electronic warfare, and radar systems.
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Conclusion: The signing of 82 MOUs during the IDEAS 2024 exhibition shows that Pakistan has made strides in both defense exports and international partnerships. These deals represent a significant step forward for Pakistan’s arms industry in the international arena.