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| Austal High Speed Support Vessel (HSSV) for the Oman Navy |
By: Pierre Tran
PARIS — Euronaval, a naval and maritime defense trade show, is to be held amid buoyant demand in a $40 billion world market, as navies seek to acquire ships and submarines to protect coasts, conduct surveillance over economic zones and project force with a blue water navy, said Patrick Boissier, chairman of Groupement des Industries de Construction et Activités Navales (Gican).
Gican is a trade association that organizes the military maritime exhibition, which runs Oct. 17-19 at Le Bourget, a business center and airport just outside the French capital. The French Ministry of Defence, with support from the Direction Générale de l’Armement procurement office, the Navy and the General Secretariat of the Sea, backs the exhibition.
The US, being the largest national naval market, is stable with annual sales of some $12 billion, Boissier told a news conference, while the region comprising Southeast Asia, India and Australia has sales worth some $12 billion, excluding future submarine deals.
Europe has steady sales of $10-11 billion, while China and Russia each are acquiring some $3-4 billion.
There is strong interest in submarines, with 45 countries sailing some 450 boats, he said.
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