2013 Langkawi maritime and aerospace show kicks off in Malaysia

Global military enterprises gathered at the Langkawi island, a tourist attraction in Malaysia, for one of the biggest maritime and aerospace show in Southeast Asia on Tuesday, seeking a bite from the increasing military spending in the region. The Langkawi Internatioan Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition, held biennially since 1991, kicked off its 12th edition with an aerobatic show from Malaysian Air Force. The show this year has attracted some 450 companies from 29 countries, including some heavyweight in the industry like Boeing and British Aerospace System (BAE), who are competing for a lucrative deal of Malaysian Air Force to replace its aging MiG-29s. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak told the opening ceremony that Asia is now a hugely important growth market for aerospace and maritime spending, both in the defence and commercial sectors. "Military modernization programs continue to drive defence spending in ASEAN," Najib said. "Acquisition of ships and aircraft, drones and armored vehicles will continue to be the focus of procurement within the region, and is expected to form the majority of defence procurement spending till 2020." According to Jane's, a military research group, Southeast Asian countries increased their defence spending by 13.5 percent in 2012. Meanwhile, Asia's military spending is set to overtake Europe's for the first time, Najib added. 78 aircraft would be displayed during the 4-day exhibition, including fighter jets, Apache attack helicopter and cargo planes. 62 warships from several countries would also be on display.