MSPO 2008 Show Daily news International Military Defence Industry Exhibition pictures information K

The 15th edition of the International Defence Industry Exhibition and the 13th International Logistics Fair attracted 364 companies from 24 countries.

What has become a tradition of the International Defence Industry Exhibition is national stands showing the military potential of particular countries. In previous years, MSPO hosted national exhibitions prepared by Germany, France and Israel. This year, the International Defence Industry Exhibition was accompanied by a national stand of the United States, which featured products of 31 American companies. On this occasion, during the official opening of MSPO, F-16 fighter planes made circles above the exhibition pavilions, and parachutists unfolded Polish and American flags in the air. The opening ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister, Przemyslaw Gosiewski; Minister of National Defence, Aleksander Szczyglo; Ambassador of the United States to Poland, Victor Ashe, as well as Deputy Secretary of the US Army, Claud Bolton; Commander in Chief of the Polish Army, General Franciszek Gagor, Commander of the Land Forces, Lieutenant General, Waldemar Skrzypczak. The opening of the Exhibition was marked by a demonstration of the efficiency of the Land Forces, which took place at the airfield in Maslów near Kielce. The demonstration was performed by 160 soldiers, 10 helicopters, and 3 planes CASA C-295. The Land Forces also prepared an exhibit within the premises of Kielce Trade Fairs, with about 30 pieces of military equipment being put on show. It was the first time that the public could see the Afghan version of the wheeled armoured vehicle ROSOMAK, in addition to having an opportunity to see selected products used by particular types of military troops.

An especially interesting event accompanying the Exhibition was a demonstration of the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, which was prepared by the Sikorsky company. The legendary Black Hawk is used in the largest number of military operations all over the world. More than 3,000 various versions of the Black Hawk helicopter, used by the US Army and private customers in other countries, have been in operation for over 6.5 million hours. Armies of more than 26 countries across the world use various versions of this helicopter for many purposes. The exhibition also featured modern Harley Davidson motorcycles designed for the police, and an official unveiling of the car Opel Astra III Sedan. The third day of the exhibition saw demonstrations of rescue missions prepared by the Polish Fire Brigade, which took place in an external area adjacent to the exhibition pavilions.
One of the most important events during MSPO 2007 was the signing of an agreement between Zaklady Mechaniczne Bumar-Labedy, the Bumar company and BAE Systems Hägglunds AB. The agreement was related to the co-operation between the Polish companies and BAE within the development of tank systems, which include the CV90 120-T support tank. On the second day of the Exhibition, the Bumar company organized the Polish unveiling of its export hit - medium tank PT-91E. The "M" (Malay) version of this tank is the subject of one of the largest export agreements in the history of the Polish defence industry – providing the Malaysian Army with 48 tanks and a dozen technical support vehicles.

The International Defence Industry Exhibition is a special fair event owing to its range of products and significance for the Polish defence sector. It was visited by defence experts – General Staff of the Polish Army, Police; representatives of the Polish Government, Ministry of National Defence, and Ministry of Interior and Administration; foreign delegations, military attachés accredited to Poland. MSPO hosted delegations from Angola, Canada, China, Congo, Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Israel, Pakistan, Peru, Qatar, Romania, Slovakia, South Korea, Thailand, Ukraine, USA, as well as air force commanders from the Czech Republic, Peru, Slovakia, Ukraine and Hungary.

The Exhibition was accompanied by a large number of defence industry conferences and seminars. 190 Polish and foreign journalists were accredited during MSPO.