Soldiers at Kielce’s exhibition

The Exhibition of the Polish Armed Forces has become an indispensable element of the MSPO International Defence Industry Exhibition. It is the showcase for the cutting-edge equipment and accessories and the presentation place of transformed image of Polish armed forces. The MSPO guests have the chance to see the display of the equipment Polish soldiers use every day – both at home as well as during their foreign peace-keeping missions.

The Armed Forces have sent to Kielce’s exhibition almost 800 soldiers and over 100 equipment units all in all. The largest units of about 300 soldiers have been directed by the Inspectorate of Support for the Armed Forces and the Land Forces. The trade fair pavilion where the Armed Forces Exhibition is held attracts an avid interest of the visitors as it is the showcase for the multifarious elements of equipment, ranging from a single bullet through special use vehicle and armoured transporters which weigh a couple of dozen of tons.

The Inspectorate of Support for the Armed Forces’ soldiers put on display a whole array of field logistics equipment in addition to laboratory and didactic devices. The exhibition visitors find the stands of Armament Services Electronics headquarters, the Commandment of Tank and Vehicle Services as well as Engineering Maintenance headquarters exceptionally attractive. OPBMR as well as the nutrition and uniform research and development centres are also very popular among the guests. The Support Inspectorate’s logistic services have demonstrated a high-mobility heavy duty vehicle used to transport goods and people, a mobile OPBMR workshop, fork lifts, pilot vehicles, sub-water vehicle LBV – 150 in addition to technical tents.

The Land Forces soldiers have prepared a dynamic opening of the exhibition. The perfect example of the land and air troops cooperation between the 17th Wielkopolska Mechanised Brigade from Wędrzyn and the 25th Air Cavalry Brigade captured the attention of the Head of the Armed Forces and all the other show viewers gathered at the MSPO opening ceremony. Crowds of people were also attracted to see the armaments displayed by the soldiers of 1st and 2nd Sapper Regiment as well as the soldiers representing the Land Forces Training Centre and the 8th air defence regiment. Exhibition centre guests had the chance to see in the flesh how big the Rosomak (Wolverine) transporters and Langusta rocket launchers are, they also had the chance to grab the Beryl pistol and feel how it feels to walk in the soldier’s shoes. However the Land Forces have prepared man more attractions; there have been radio-detection system for artillery surveillance Liwiec, the air-defence combat vehicle OSA-P, automated commandment vehicles, training equipment, explosive disposal accessories completed with engineering robots in action, in addition to a whole array of armament and equipment types.

The exhibition also features the stands of Military Police and their cars and vehicles. There is a lot to see at the Polish Navy stands; the magnetic-acoustic exciter sweeper PROMIENCA and the SIBOTIX LBV150 robot are just a few examples.

Polish Airforce Academy from Dęblin is also here; the Academy exhibits a whole range of appliances used for teaching and practical training, flight and land control simulators.

The visitors often call in the information and promotion stands of all kinds of armed forces, the Department of Teaching and Education and the Ministry of National Defence Promotion Department. The exhibition also encompasses the stand of Association of Injured and Victim Soldiers who have taken part in foreign Peace Keeping Missions.

This years edition serves as yet another proof that the MSPO would not make sense without the army; and the soldiers also feel themselves at home here.