East meets West in defense and security exhibition at WTC in Pasay City

MANILA, Philippines — From April 27 to 29, the Philippines will showcase an array of modern weapons and defense technology from the East and the West.   

Dubbed the Asian Defense and Security (ADAS) 2022, the three-day event will be held at the World Trade Center (WTC) in Pasay City. As the flagship defense and security event of the Philippines, it will put at the center stage the state-of-the-art defense equipment in air, land and sea that also include missiles and weapons systems.   

Military powerhouses like Israel, India, Turkey, US and South Korea, plus a host of other countries, including Germany are expected to participate.   

The exhibits will be a competition of capabilities, a static display of the best and premier products that defense contractors and manufacturers from each country can offer to buyers in terms of assets, equipment and technology.  

ADAS 2022 is fully endorsed and supported by the Department of National Defense, the National Security Council, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Coast Guard and other defense and security agencies in holding the conference and exhibition.

Organized by APAC Expo Pte Ltd based in Singapore, it covers the whole spectrum of warfare, including communications, intelligence and command and control.  

Products and capabilities for cyber warfare, aerospace and CBRNE (chemical, biological, radiological and explosives) would also be on display along with drones and the latest technologies in modern warfare.   

“Building a credible national defense and security capability takes many years, and since modern technologies become obsolete in a relatively short period of time, regular upgrading and modernization exercises are needed to keep pace with perpetually ongoing developments. ADAS 2022 presents an ideal platform for this renewal process,” APAC EXPO Pte Ltd Managing Director Andrew Marriott said.

At least 157 defense contractors, manufacturers and exhibitors from top defense, security and aerospace companies from the US, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Sweden, South Korea, Turkey, Czech Republic, Spain, Sweden, Japan, Australia, Canada, India, Israel, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria, South Africa, Switzerland and other countries are among the exhibitors.   

The firms include Lockheed Martin, Airbus, Brahmos Aerospace, Austal, Israel Weapon Industries, Korea Aerospace Industries, Elbit Systems, General Dynamics Mission Systems, CZ, Israel Aerospace Industries, Korea Aerospace Industries, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Hyundai Heavy industries, Embraer, ATA Arms, Saab, Rafael, Glock, Propmech and UAV Factory. Many more exhibitors can be viewed on the Website at www.adas.ph    

A number of the exhibitors have been key players in the ongoing modernization program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines by supplying it with weapons, planes and ships through acquisition contracts.

• Propmech Corporation has delivered multi-purpose attack craft for the Philippine Navy, some of which had been armed with Spike-ER missiles from Elbit Systems. 
   
• Elbit Systems was also behind the repair, upgrade and delivery of tanks and armored personnel carriers for the Philippine Army, whose Artillery Regiment it also boosted with its delivery of Soltam 155m/52 caliber self-propelled howitzers and M125A2 armored mortar carriers. 
   
• The Philippine Navy took delivery of its two newest frigates from Hyundai Heavy Industries, which will also build its two corvettes. 
   
• Just recently, the Philippine Air Force christened into service one of the C-295 aircraft that it ordered from Airbus Defense along with two of the T-129 ATAK helicopters that it procured from Turkey. The Air Force has been powered with a squadron of FA-50 fighter jets from the Korean Aerospace Industries, with six A-29 light attack aircraft from Embraer and 16 Black Hawk helicopters from a Polish subsidiary of Sikorsky, which is a part of Lockheed Martin. Another contract has been signed for the delivery of additional 32 Black Hawk helicopters. 
   
• On the part of the Philippine Marines, a missile battalion has been activated as it awaits the delivery of batteries of supersonic missiles from Brahmos.  

Successfully launched in 2014 and held every two years, this year’s ADAS is the 4th Asian Defense and Security, Crisis and Disaster Management Exhibition and Conference after it was postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.