The 17th International Defence Industry Show MSPO in Kielce and the 15th International Logistics Fair MTL Logistyka have started in beautiful sunny weather. Despite the crisis and even the fire that destroyed one of the halls yesterday, the event impresses with its great scale, gathering nearly 300 exhibitors.

When starting the MSPO opening ceremony, Andrzej Mochoń, the President of Kielce Fair, presented the honorary guests of this year's event, including the Minister of Defence Bogdan Klich, the Chief of the General Staff Gen. Franciszek Gągor, commanders of the individual services, of the Polish Armed Forces Support Inspectorate, representatives of the Ministry of Economy, Members of Parliament, and representatives of several foreign Ministers of Defence.

Mr Mochoń referred to yesterday's fire at Hall F. He thanked the firemen, policemen, city authorities and workers of the fair for the effective liquidation of the element for clearing its results. He extended special thanks to the exhibitors for their patience and trust displayed when moving to another building.

He has also reminded that the Kielce Fair is the most extensively developing exhibition centre in Poland. By the next year a roof should be completed between the two main buildings, it is also planned to build a conference centre for a thousand people and a multi-level car park, to allow increasing both the area and the quality of the services.

Like the year before, MSPO was opened by the Minister of Defence Bogdan Klich. However, while his speech in 2008 was full of optimism and listing specific arms programmes (technical modernisation was going to take 60 billion zlotys by 2018), this of today was much more balanced. The current crisis has left its mark, both on the number of exhibitors and their moods and expectations.

The head of the MoD reminded the main, unchanging procurement priorities of the MoD. He has listed, among others, the command and communication systems, modernisation of the air defence system, and among the more detailed ones – acquisition of the Lead-In Fighter Trainer aircraft (LIFT) or Bryza(?) transport aircraft. He has added that foreign contractors can be engaged in these programmes.

Gen. Franciszek Gągor has pointed out the link between the defence industry potential and the condition of the armed forces. According to him this link is symbolised by the Rosomak APC which saves the lives and health of our soldiers in Afghanistan.

The opening ceremony of the 17th MSPO and the 15th MTL was followed by the dynamic display of the Polish Armed Forces. There was a simulated ambush attach on a patrol consisting of a T-72 tank, a BWP-1 IFV, a Humvee and two Honker Skorpion vehicles. The heaviest vehicles were damaged in the attack, subsequently recovered by a WZT-3 that towed the BWP-1, an Iveco lorry with NS 600 W low-chassis trailer, onto which the tank was loaded, and a Jelcza 872 lorry that evacuated the damaged Humvee.