18th International Defence Industry Exhibition MSPODate of next exhibition: 6-9 September, 2010
Exhibition of state-of-the-art military equipment and armaments, the Polish Shield, V4, and dynamic presentations constitute only small part of the programme of the 17th International Defence Industry Exhibition, which ended on 3 September in Kielce. The difficult situation resulting from a fire which broke out in one of the exhibition halls the day before the opening did not prevent the organization of this exhibition. Full commitment of Targi Kielce employees and exhibitors made it possible to construct again exhibition stands of those who had suffered damage. Almost 13,000 visitors, more than 300 exhibitors representing the defence industry in 25 countries used 20,000 square metres of exhibition space for showing their products. The defence industry exhibition held in Kielce has become Central Europe's most significant fair event of this kind, being the third largest on the Old Continent. MSPO annually features not only the latest achievements in the defence industry, but also technologies and systems applied in fields such as logistics, security and rescue. Kielce hosted global corporations situated at the top of the world’s giants list: BAE Systems, Boeing, MBDA, Raytheon, and Thales. Many new products were prepared by the Polish defence company – Bumar Group, with the whole Pavilion C being used for displaying programmes that this company is implementing. What was shown here was Bumar's technologies offering the largest potential for future development and utilization, such as equipment and armaments to be used by the Polish soldier of the future, with a real hit – a ground based air defence system, the informally called Polish Shield.
Polish ShieldThose involved in this project, i.e. Bumar Group, Przemysłowy Instytut Telekomunikacji, CNPEP Radwar and a European multinational missile corporation MBDA jointly decided to develop a ground-based air defence system with the aim of modernizing the military potential of Poland and other countries. They intend to build a complex system for fighting air intruders within a very short distance (up to 5 km, at an altitude of up to10,000 feet), a somewhat longer one (up to 20 km, at an altitude of up to 30,000 feet) and within medium and long distances (up to 100 km, at an altitude of 65,000 feet). The structure of this new project is based on the combination of Polish radar system, our networks of command and control of the PIT and Radwar anti-aircraft defence systems, with the advanced missiles MBDA, i.e. VL MICA and Aster 30, as well as with the existing Polish systems Poprad and Loara. During MSPO 2009, experts and officials for the first time were given an opportunity to become acquainted with the structure of the Polish Shield, with a simulation of its operation, as well as with the European missiles which could constitute the core of its strength. What made this event more significant and interesting was the fact that the VL MICA missiles were shown in Kielce for the first time after the successful test performed on 8 July 2009 in a simulated operation of fighting off an attack with guided missiles launched from the sea in the range Biscarosse in France. Polish army officers were observing it.
Exhibition hitsAnother hit of MSPO 2009 was a presentation of the first fully operational system of an active defence system for fighting vehicles – Trophy of the Israeli Rafael corporation, whose ppk–Spike system is produced in Poland on the basis of a valid licence and supplied to the Ministry of National Defence by the Bumar Group. In late July 2009, in the Negew Desert in Israel, (with Polish officers observing it) the Merkava IV tank, used by an operational armoured unit, equipped with a standard Trophy system, was tested. The tank had the upper hand over the grenade launchers RPG and ppk. It was a new step taken towards the development of armoured vehicle technologies. The results was put on display in Kielce.
V4 at MSPO
MSPO 2009 also provided the venue for the national exhibition of the Vysehrad Group countries – V4. Promotional and advertising stands were prepared by the defence ministries of Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The Hungarians showed, among other things, rifle systems, sniper rifles and guns, as well as equipment for individual soldiers. They have long been interested in the co-operation with Poland in the field of defence. especially within state-of-the-art command and digital communication systems.
Exhibition of the Armed ForcesWhat could not be missed during MSPO 2009 was its permanent element – an exhibition of the Polish Armed Forces, which is usually designed by units operating as part of the Land Forces. In 2009, the exhibition of our armed forces was organized under the motto "Professional Soldiers - Professional Equipment". It was prepared by the Inspectorate of Support for the Armed Forces in co-operation with the Command of the Land Forces. Visitors to the Kielce exhibition centre had an opportunity to see state-of-the-art armaments and military equipment, including the armoured vehicle Rosomak, engineering equipment, antiaircraft artillery and missile systems, reconnaissance systems and logistics equipment. The Land Forces showed various versions of the ROSOMAK armoured vehicle, missile launcher LANGUSTA, mine plough BOŻENA, antiaircraft artillery system LOARA – developed by the Radwar company in Warsaw – as well as the reconnaissance and interference system PRZEBI¦NIEG – produced by Wojskowe Zakłady Elektroniczne in Zielonka near Warsaw. Logistics professionals presented a camp consisting of pneumatic tents, military equipment repair workshop, prototype of a field bath, field water storage tank and the armoured version of the vehicle STAR 944. There were also stands prepared by the Research and Implementation Centres operating as part of the Inspectorate of Support for the Armed Forces. Specialists of the Military Uniform Research and Implementation Centre showed the latest trends in the field of uniforms and equipment for Polish soldiers, while the Military Food Research and Implementation Centre presented methods of testing and certifying food and necessary equipment to be used by the Polish Armed Forces.
Dynamic Presentations
After a few years' break, in addition to the static exhibition, visitors had an opportunity to attend a demonstration of soldiers' practical operations. On the first day of the fair, as part of the dynamic presentation, various methods of evacuating damaged equipment from the battle field were shown by logistics subunits. Among the exhibited operations was the loading of a PT-91 tank onto a low-clearance carrier, evacuation of a damaged BWP infantry vehicle by means of a technical vehicle WZT-3, as well as the loading of a reconnaissance vehicle Skorpion onto a self-loading platform. The dynamic presentation was carried out in conditions imitating real military operations, with special simulation equipment being used.
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