DSEi

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Defence Systems & Equipment International (DSEi) is a defence equipment exhibition held every two years in London's Docklands, which draws thousands of visitors, both trade and military. It is an important event in the international military equipment sales calendar and is organised in association with the government's Defence Export Services Organization (DESO).

In 2005 DSEi confirmed its position as one of the leading defence systems and equipment trade events in the world with around 1200 exhibitors from 35 countries. It is a "tri-service defence exhibition", which means it is a forum for selling military equipment of all kinds for land, sea and air. Its organisers, Reed Exhibitions, a part of information giant Reed Elsevier, puts its mission like this:

DSEi is a key event for the total supply chain providing a platform for the whole of the defence & military aerospace community... We aim to create the optimal business environment and recognise that DSEi fulfils an important role within the selling process for defence companies... To achieve this we deliver: Well-organised top level international delegations, UK ministers and senior staff involved in UK defence procurement, [and] senior international visitors and military influencers...

1 DSEi's history
2 Political Controversy
3 Last year's DSEi
4 External links
- 4.1 Official Sites
- 4.2 Anti-Dsei Links

[edit] DSEi's history

Between 1976 and 1991, the British Army Equipment Exhibition and the Royal Navy Equipment Exhibition were held on alternate years in Aldershot and Portsmouth respectively. Overseas delegations attended by invitation only, but those invited often included governments with such poor human rights records as Indonesia and Chile. Despite having been at war with Iran for almost six years, a five-strong delegation from Iraq attended in 1986.

In 1993 the two exhibitions were combined and held every other year until the British government decided to privatise the exhibition. Exhibitions company Spearhead launched the first DSEi in 1999 at Chertsey in Surrey. In 2001 it moved to its current location at the ExCel Exhibition Centre in London Docklands.

[edit] Political Controversy

2005 protests

The government's DESO draws up the official invitation lists for DSEi, with a supplementary list drawn up by the organisers. Many of the nations attending have been accused of human rights violations, leading to concerns over their involvement. Arms conventions such as these have also been accused of furthering intra- and international conflicts by providing the weapons used.

For these reasons, the event has attracted much unwanted attention from activist groups. The fairs in 2001, 2003, and 2005 were all targets of sizeable protests.

[edit] Last year's DSEi

DSEi 2005 was held from September 13-16. It was 30% bigger than 2003's event, and in addition to traditional military systems & equipment, displayed "products and services related to Homeland security, anti-terrorism, access control, and personal security."