Pakistan gets orders worth 50 million dollars at defence exhibition

Nov 22, 2006, 8:33 GMT

Islamabad - Pakistan's arms manufacturers received orders worth 50 million dollars at a military equipment and arms exhibition underway in Karachi, media reports said Wednesday, quoting the manufacturers.

Scientist Samar Mubarakmand, who heads the state-controlled National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM), told journalists that Middle Eastern and African countries started booking orders immediately after sales opened at the exhibition on Tuesday, according to the daily The Nation.

He said the orders were for radar systems, conventional bombs, thermal batteries, short-range unmanned aviation vehicles and ammunition.

NESCOM produces a range of weapons and equipment, including ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, some in collaboration with other arms producing units in the state sector.

However, the missiles and the related technology were not for sale, the NESCOM chief said.

Mubarkmand said Pakistan has exported 500 million dollars worth of military equipment and ammunition over the past three or four years.

The newspaper Dawn reported that Geat Industries of France signed a memorandum of understanding with the Pakistan Ordnance Factories on co-producing '155mm state-of-the-art artillery ammunition' and reactive armour bricks for tanks.