President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited the Defense Industry Agency's Center for Innovative Technologies on February 21, where he familiarized himself with the production capacities, advanced developments, military and dual-purpose products available there. This was reported by the Presidential press service.
Strengthening the army's capabilities involves not only the professional training of military personnel but also the development of the defense industry, which holds significant importance. The establishment of a modern defense industry in Uzbekistan, initiated by our President, has been of historical significance. Systematic efforts are being undertaken by the agency under the Ministry of Defense to modernize weapons, adopt new technologies, and implement promising developments in the troops.
Approximately 80 military and dual-purpose products are being manufactured at this Center for Innovative Technologies. In addition, startup projects in robotics and unmanned aerial vehicles are being supported.
During the visit, new models of military equipment and promising projects and plans for further development of the defense sector were presented.
Our country's leader stated that these are the first steps, giving instructions to enhance the competitiveness of the defense system. The importance of continuously improving production, adopting new products, and making extensive use of innovative technologies and artificial intelligence was emphasized.
Moreover, instructions were given to more broadly involve the private sector in the industry on a contractual basis and to increase the variety of military and dual-purpose product types. Issues of creating new jobs, systematically preparing specialists, and establishing scientific laboratories for new techniques were highlighted.
It is worth noting that Uzbekistan's defense industry enterprises actively participate in international specialized exhibitions. In particular, more than 100 samples of military equipment and products manufactured in our country are being showcased at the "IDEX-2025" exhibition taking place in Abu Dhabi (UAE) from February 17-21. Among them, the "Arslon 8×8" and "Arslon 6×6" armored personnel carriers and the "Tornado" self-propelled howitzer have aroused great interest among foreign partners.
At the end of the visit, our President outlined the strategic directions for further development of the defense industry, setting clear tasks for officials to ensure high quality of products, expand production capabilities, and strengthen the position of local enterprises in the international market.
