Sixth International Defense Industry Forum ARMY-2020 to open in Russia today

Moscow [Russia], Aug 23 (ANI/Sputnik): The sixth international defense industry forum ARMY-2020, organised by the Russian Defense Ministry, will open in Moscow on Sunday and present state-of-the-art weaponry and military hardware.
Delegations from at least 70 nations have confirmed their participation in the high-profile event which will be held through August 29.
This year, due to the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries did not send their delegations to the forum. However, many embassies, including the Embassy of South Africa and the Embassy of the Philippines, have already confirmed to Sputnik that they will send defense attaches for the event. Brazilian Deputy Defense Minister and Secretary for Defense Products Marcos Degaut and chairman of the Armenian High-Tech Ministry's Defense Industry Committee Artak Davtyan are confirmed to be at the forum.
Meanwhile, Belarus, Brazil, India, Kazakhstan, and Pakistan will present the national expositions at the Patriot congress and exhibition centre.
The forum will showcase over 730 pieces of Russian weapons and equipment, as well as 28,000 exhibits from industrial enterprises for a free inspection.
An opening ceremony and the visits by official delegations are slated for Sunday, while the next three days will be opened only to industry professionals. From August 27-29 the forum will open for mass visits.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will participate in the opening ceremony and later will attend the exhibition of the latest weapons, military and special equipment.
While exhibitions will be held at the Patriot congress and exhibition center, an aviation cluster will be located at the Kubinka Airfield and demonstrations will be held at the nearby Alabino military training ground.
The Russian Defense Ministry earlier announced that the forum will hold a unique exhibition tracing the development of Russian tanks throughout history. For the first time, a line of 23 tanks and armored vehicles were deployed on an open area in the Patriot Park.
Meanwhile, for the first time in the forum's history, a separate exposition will be devoted to the Russian navy. It will feature state-of-the-art replicas of warships, submarines, as well as the latest technical equipment for the fleet. Also, a unique laser cutting device for diving underwater technical and ship lifting operations will be showcased at the event.
Arms manufacturer Kalashnikov Concern has promised to present an ambitious smart-rifle with a futuristic design that can sync with mobile devices. The company will also present a new AK-19 assault rifle in NATO caliber.
Russia's Almaz-Antey arms manufacturer, which showcases its novelties at every Army forum, has vowed to unveil the Antey-4000 anti-aircraft missile system to the public for the first time.
The stars of the previous forums -- next-generation main battle tank T-14 Armata, Terminator armored fighting vehicle, Typhoon armored vehicles, T-90M and T-80BVM tanks, K-17 Bumerang wheeled infantry fighting vehicle and VPK-URAL multi-purpose armored vehicle -- are expected to be showcased at the upcoming event.
The forum will also host discussions among global military officials, researchers and defense industry experts about the application of 3D technologies in designing, manufacturing and operating weapons and military equipment.
Meanwhile, the expositions within the Army 2020 forum will be presented across 14 Russian regions, including the Buryatia Republic and the Chukotka Autonomous District. (ANI/Sputnik)