SYDNEY, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Some 16 high-tech companies that will go on show at the PACIFIC 2019 International Maritime Expo have been unveiled on Thursday by Acting New South Wales State Premier and Minister for Industry John Barilaro.
Set to take place in Sydney, Australia, on Oct. 8-10, the event is the only comprehensive defence and marine technology exhibition of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region.
"NSW is a high-tech state and home of one of the world's largest biannual defence and maritime industry events, the PACIFIC International Maritime Expo," Barilaro said.
"PACIFIC is one of the best opportunities we have as a state to showcase the existing strengths and capabilities of the NSW defence sector and our local industry."
"NSW defence and maritime companies will be exhibiting to win global export sales and we will be directly supporting 16 of them on our stand to open doors and close deals," he added.
With 2017's PACIFIC exhibition attracting 546 exhibiting companies, 16,700 attendances, and 79 senior military and industry delegations from 53 countries, the defence industry is anticipating an even bigger event this year.
Set to be one of the main local talking points is Ocius Technology's smart Bluebottle unmanned surface vessel (USV).
Known as "Bob," the solar-powered USV that's capable of performing ocean surveillance roles for the defence sector, offshore energy companies and scientific bodies, took to the waters of Sydney Harbour Thursday for a demonstration.
"Ocius Technology is a fantastic example of the smart systems for which NSW is renowned and its Bluebottle prototypes continue to impress in naval trials," NSW Defence Advocate Air Marshal (Retd) John Harvey AM said.
"The Bluebottle can complement our Navy's existing capabilities with potentially hundreds deployed at sea conducting maritime surveillance of Australia's vast coastline."
With the global USV market for defence applications alone estimated to be worth around 4 billion U.S. dollars by 2020, Ocius Technology Chairman Mark Bethwaite said, "Ocius is already working with two major private sector partners to develop USVs capable of performing specific high-value applications in hydrography and defence."
