26 Oct. 2005

Partner countries join non-lethal weapons exhibition An industrial exhibition devoted to non-lethal weapons technologies at NATO HQ on 26 and 27 October provided 21 companies from NATO member states and partner countries, including Russia , with an opportunity to display their latest technologies and products in this field. The exhibition accompanied the fall meeting of the bi-annual Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD). A tool for complex environments Non-lethal weapons have become an essential tool for modern militaries in today’s extremely complex security environment. Forces are increasingly called upon to operate in urban environments and to combat insurgents and terrorists, who – among other things – use human shields, violate the laws of war and hope to promote collateral damage as a means of advancing their agendas. The ability for forces to take action against terrorists or insurgents without harming innocent civilians, friendly forces or infrastructure assets is a crucial capability. It is also useful to be able to capture a terrorist or insurgent alive. Having non-lethal weapons greatly expands the range of options available to military commanders and their forces, making them more flexible and responsive. Exchanging of ideas The CNAD exhibition provided an opportunity to bring together technological and industrial knowledge from ten NATO countries and three partner countries. The Rosoboronexport State Corporation, the sole state intermediary agency for Russia ’s military exports/imports, which is supported by the State Enterprise “Special Technology and Telecoms” Research and Production Association of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, displayed various non-lethal equipments. Russia ’s Federal Research and Development Institute, Federal Security Service and Ministry of Internal Affairs also contributed to the exhibition.