IDET NEWS č. 14/2015

Dear ladies and gentlemen, dear exhibitors and visitors,

The IDET NEWS Czech-English magazine, the 14^th edition of which you are now reading and which will present flagship products of both domestic and foreign defence and security industries, is a tradition accompanying the IDET, PYROS and ISET fairs from their very start.

The magazine starts with an opening address of Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, which is traditionally followed by contributions from other prominent representatives of the government and defence and security industry which we value very much. Speaking about the tradition, I must mention our long-standing cooperation with many Czech and Slovak Ministers of Defence since 1993 until now, who always contributed to every issue of the IDET NEWS magazine. I would be very happy if the tradition continued in the years to come.

At the IDET Exhibition two years ago, during the GOLDEN IDET NEWS prize-awarding ceremony, Vlastimil Picek, then Minister of Defence, personally wished me luck in my new job of the IDET NEWS Editor-in-Chief. Thanks to the cooperation of the entire publishing house, his wish has come true, and I hope the following pages will offer you a lot of what you will be interested in.

Earlier this month and after less than three years of doing the job, Chief of the General Staff and General of the Army Pavel Petr left our army. However, he claims he will continue to wear the uniform with a Czech flag on the shoulder with pride, albeit about a thousand kilometers farther to the west, as the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee. The major diplomatic success of the Czech Republic unquestionably demonstrates the appreciation that our country deserves. On behalf of our entire editorial team, I would like to congratulate General Pavel on the appointment and wish him a lot of strength and luck during his incumbency and also thank him for his membership in the editorial board of the CDIS Review magazine. We would welcome if similar cooperation also continued with the new Chief of the General Staff of the Army of the CR, Lieutenant General Josef Bečvář.

Terrorism is the greatest security threat today. The defence and security industry significantly contributes to the protection of democracy, and the same applies to international defence and security fairs and exhibitions. The Czech Republic, although a small country that cannot compare itself with global powers, can again be proud of the high number of domestic and globally renowned international exhibitors this year.

Our long-standing cooperation with Veletrhy Brno, a.s., is mutually very beneficial and we are very happy we have been the principal media partner of the IDET Fair in the Czech Republic. In 1999, our publishing house issued the first Catalogue of the Defence Industry of the Czech Republic, which was christened at the fair by then Prime Minister Miloš Zeman. Today´s ninth edition of the Security and Defence Technologies Catalogue of the Czech Republic 2015-2016 will again be ceremonially christened during the gala evening, on the occasion of the GOLDEN IDET
and international journalist panel GOLDEN IDET NEWS prize-awarding ceremonies.

I wish you all a pleasant stay in Brno, many business opportunities and new contacts, and I look forward to meeting you at our Stand 98 in Hall P.

Šárka Cook, Editor in Chief