A defence Mahakumbh in Lucknow ahead of 11th DefExpo

Lucknow: As Uttar Pradesh gears up to hold the 11th edition of the biennial DefExpo 2020 in Lucknow from February 5, its capital city has got the look of a very unique combination of Kumbh Mela and a battle zone.

The convergence of VIPs like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and leaders from more than 40 nations, such as the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Czech Republic and Mexico, is set to turn UP's capital into a hotbed of VIP movement. Representatives from 1,000 participating companies also add diversity to the venue.

Pix credit: Sumit Kumar

Army showcases battle zone ahead of 11^th DefExpo

Apart from this, residents of Lucknow seem quite excited after seeing different kinds of fighter jets, battle tanks, missiles and choppers. The Indian Army also showcased a small battle zone operation at the ground of Vrindavan Yojna at Sultanpur Road. The armed men, with scores of combat tanks and war gears, moved forward amid heavy shelling and artillery fire. The tanks (T-90 Bhishma), indigenous Arjun battle tank and Bofors guns retaliated to push the enemy back.

The act left the spectators spellbound. And before they could take their eyes off from what was happening on the ground, the skies of Lucknow were taken over by scrambling Su-30 MKI and Jaguar jets. The daredevils of Indian Air Force's world famous acrobatic team — Surya Kiran — mesmerised the spectators with their breathtaking show. The 11th DefExpo will be inaugurated by Modi on February 5 at the main venue at Sector 15 of Vrindavan Yojna. The theme of the event is 'Digital transformation of defence.'

Pix credit: Sumit Kumar

Event will be held at two venues

The events related to the five-day expo will be held at two venues — Vrindavan Yojna and the Gomti riverfront, adjacent to Birbal Sahani Marg, near Khatu Shyam Mandir. The main venue of the expo at Vrindavan Yojna will be off public reach on the first three days. February 5, 6 and 7 will be completely reserved for trade and business visits and for the participating companies.

According to a DefExpo official, "The entry charges for the business visitor would be Rs 2,500 (for Indians) and Rs 5,000 (foreigners)." However, it will be thrown open for the general public on the last two days (February 8 and 9). The entry for general public is free.

Promoting Make in India

Promoting 'Make in India' campaign, military equipment developers like Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will showcase their equipment at the event.

"Army's TK-T-90, BMP, Simulators Firing Range, Surface Mine Clearing System (SMCS), Bridge Layer Tank, Full Width Mine Plough, 155 mm BOFORS, Anti-Tank Guided Missile Launcher, Camouflaged Motor Cycle, Cheetah helicopter, Armoured Recovery Vehicle (ARV), AKASH-surface to air missile, K-9 VAJRA, Ultra-Light Howitzer (ULH M-777), Tunguska AD System, Schilka AD System, Pinaka and others will be on display during the Defence Expo," the official added.

"The Navy, Coast Guard and Indian Air Force (IAF) would give a live demo of a rescue operation. Similarly, there will be cultural programmes on all five days of the expo," she said.