Lucknow: Preparations for the grand biennial defence show Defence Expo 2020 is almost complete in the city of Nawabs, as it gears up to host the five-day event to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 5.
It’s the 11th edition of Defence Expo. The theme of this DefExpo is “India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hun”.
The entire city has been decked up for the occasion with coloured LED lights illuminating the streets besides hoardings in almost every corner of the state capital highlighting the might of the country's defence.
In the view of the gala event, the state capital has been cleaned with roads leading to the DefExpo area being repaired and other facilities in place.
The Prime Minister is expected to stay here for about three and-a-half hours before flying back to Delhi on February 5 after inaugurating the expo and watching the live demo of the Indian defence power.
Official sources said here on Monday that the Prime Minister, after landing at the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow at around 1000 hours, will fly in a chopper directly to the helipad in Kalli West.
He will then proceed to Vrindavan Yojana by road.
In view of Modi’s programme, the district officials inspected the routes from airport to the Defence Expo venue, helipad, riverfront etc.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the chiefs of the three armed forces will also be present at the inauguration.
Representatives of 70 countries will be participating in the expo.
Meanwhile, the Surya Command in Lucknow is the main coordinating agency for the conduct of Defence Expo, especially for all events related to military equipment and demonstration.
According to a senior defence official, the inaugural ceremony at VrindavanYojana (Sector 15) will be held on February 5 during which the prowess of Indian Army and Indian Air Force will be on display in the form of a live demonstration.
In addition, the military equipment developed by DRDO will also be displaying their capabilities. A dare devil show by Corps of Signals will be a major attraction.
The official said the Army will be displaying military equipment such as Tk-T-90,BMP, Simulators Firing Range, Surface Mine Clearing System(SMCS), Bridge Layer Tank,Full-Width Mine Plough, 155 mm BOFORS, Anti-TankGuided Missile Launcher, Camouflaged Motorcycle, Cheetah Helicopter, Armoured Recovery Vehicle (ARV), AKASH - Surface To Air Missile, K-9 VAJRA and UltraLight Howitzer (ULH M-777).
Besides, Tunguska AD System, SchilkaAD System, Pinaka, IndraRadar, All Terrain Vehicles(ATV), High Mobility Vehicles(HMV), Sarvatra Br, Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH Dhruv) at the Vrindavan Yojana venue DRDO will be showcasingArjun Tk, Modular BridgingSystem, Advanced Carbon Composite Modular BridgingSystem, Wheeled Armoured Platform (Wh AP), Counter Mine Flail ( CMF) MediumPower Radar, Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), Advanced Towed Artillery gunSystem (ATAGS), Unexploded Ordnance Handling Robot will also be in display.
''The youngsters and even middle-aged fitness enthusiasts will have the opportunity to test their fitness, as an ‘Obstacle Course’ has been exclusively created at Gomti River front which involves crawling underwired obstacles, zigzag balance, crossing over 5 ft ditch and climbing a vertical rope.In addition, general public can take part in ‘Nuclear Biological and Chemical’ suit wearing competition and also try their shooting skills at the Reflex shooting range set up at riverfront, the official said.
There will be selfie points. There will be a soldier model, small arms and jump suits with backdrops at the river front and TK-T-90, BMP and Field condition living bunker at the selfie point, he added.
