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| The International Defence Industry Exhibition This year's MSPO 2009 (31 August – 3 September) maintains its position as Central Europe's largest display window of the domestic and international defence industries. Invariably a highly viable project, even in the time of budget cuts and reduced modernization programmes. Among those visiting the fair will be Minister of National Defence, Bogdan Klich; the head of Polish diplomacy, Radosław Sikorki, in addition to 15 official delegations representing governments from across the world, including 6 deputy ministers of defence. The Kielce exhibition centre will feature products, technologies and integration capabilities offered by over 300 exhibitors, including 98 foreign companies representing 25 countries, with over 20, 000 m2 of exhibition space being used. The organizers expect the same number of visitors as in previous years, i.e. 12-13, 000. In 2009, Kielce hosts global corporations from the top of the world's giants list: BAE Systems, Boeing, MBDA, Raytheon, and Thales. Many new products have been prepared by the Polish defence company – Bumar Group; the whole Pavilion C will be used for displaying programmes that this company is implementing. What will be shown here is 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, as we were informed by the spokesperson for the Group, Monika Koniecko, being a ground based air defence system, the so called Polish Shield. Those 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 will for the first time be 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 makes this event more significant and interesting is the fact that the VL MICA missiles will be 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. Another hit of MSPO 2009 will be 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 will be put on display in Kielce. MSPO 2009 will also provide the venue for the national exhibition of the Vysehrad Group countries – V4. It means that in addition to the Polish Ministry of National Defence, promotion and advertising will be carried out at exhibition stands prepared by the defence ministries of Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. There will also be Hungarian and Czech defence companies. The Hungarians will show, 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. Visits by defence ministers or deputy ministers representing the Vysehrad Group countries, as well as their summit during MSPO 2009, are likely to take place. What cannot be missed in the programme of MSPO 2009 is 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 is organized under the motto "Professional Soldiers - Professional Equipment". It is 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 will have 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 will show 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 PRZEBIŚNIEG – produced by Wojskowe Zakłady Elektroniczne in Zielonka near Warsaw. Logistics professionals will present 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 will also be 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 will show the latest trends in the field of uniforms and equipment for Polish soldiers, while the Military Food Research and Implementation Centre will present methods of testing and certifying food and necessary equipment to be used by the Polish Armed Forces. After a few years' break, in addition to the static exhibition, visitors will have an opportunity to watch 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 will be shown by logistics subunits. Among the exhibited operations will be 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 will be carried out in conditions imitating real military operations, with special simulation equipment being used. write your comments about the article :: © 2009 Exhibition News :: home page |