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The future of the Polish army is decided at the Polish Armaments Group's expo stand.

For PGZ, the second day of the trade fair was extremely fruitful,  as several key contracts were signed with Polish and foreign contractors. Pursuant to the agreements, Javelin missiles will be co-produced in Poland.

The cooperation agreement was signed by:  President of the Management Board of Polish Armaments Group SA Sebastian Chwałek, Member of the Management Board of PGZ SA Jakub Roszkowski, President of Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Javelin Joint Venture Andy Amaro and Vice President of Lokheed Martin and Raytheon Javelin Joint Venture Paula Hartley. The result of the cooperation means the possibility of setting up a final assembly and components production plant in Poland. This agreement will stabilize future production of the Javelin system for the US military while providing unique opportunities for Polish industry. After signing the contract, representatives of the Javelin Joint Venture placed a tender order to produce the first components for the Javelin missiles.

There are more pivotal arrangements signed on the second day of the Expo. An agreement was also signed with POONGSAN on determining the possibilities and model of cooperation in the field of supplies of multi-calibre ammunition and other programs in Poland and abroad. According to the agreement with Hanwha Aerospace, the Polish and Korean parties will explore the possibilities of establishing the production of the Chunmoo rocket in the companies of the PGZ Group. Another important agreement was concluded by the Polish Armaments Group, the Military Mechanical Works and Alisson Transmission -  the document concerns the joint offering of crates manufactured by the American company for the products of the PGZ Group and the establishment of a Service Centre for these crates at Military Mechanical Works SA

- For the Polish Armaments Group, this year's expo is special for many reasons. One of them is the fact that this year marks 10 years since the establishment of the Polish Armaments Group;  its companies have been created for decades. We thus have been a trustworthy partner for the Ministry of National Defence and soldiers in the process of technical modernization of the Armed Forces. This process has definitely accelerated in the last 3-4 years, and for a year and a half it has been implemented at a pace unprecedented for decades. Today, these changes will be personally seen and assessed by each participant of the International Defence Industry Exhibition - said Sebastian Chwałek, President of the Management Board of PGZ SA, during the official opening of the expo.

The International Defence Industry Exhibition in Targi Kielce abounds in contract signing ceremonies, including those signed with the PGZ.

Debates on defence on the second day of MSPO Kielce

Changing the way of thinking and creating new tools for the armed forces and the defence industry - the leading topic of the debate held under the banner of "Conference on "Transforming the European Defence Industry" which brought participants were Polish and European experts in the field of defence and development. The event was also attended by the president of Targi Kielce, Andrzej Mochoń.

– The plans of the Polish government reach 4% of GDP earmarked for defence. 2% used to be a success, but many European countries are still at 1.5%;  we all want the funds spent on armaments to be spent well. Difficult years are ahead, but it is important to coordinate security efforts and that is what today's debate and the International Defence Industry Exhibition are about - Andrzej Mochoń PhD., President of the Management Board of Targi Kielce, said during the opening of the debate.

In one of the panels, the experts spoke about the broad importance of the European Defence Fund. They discussed specific EU instruments supporting the production of ammunition (ASAP) and strengthening the European defence industry through joint procurement (EDIRPA).

A presentation of reinforcement-industry crown jewels

The model of the Ukrainian UAV that attacked the skyscrapers of the "Moskva City" complex in the Russia's capital in August this year is also on display in Kielce. The kamikaze UAV Hunter Killer 20 (HaKi-20) is an unmanned aerial vehicle created by Ukrainian CDET engineers. The UAV is designed to neutralize the enemy at a distance of at least 1,000 km (both directions). The deadly weapon weighs only 8900 g, yet it can take the payload of up to 15 kg. The UAV is very quiet, and the hawk-eye vison is provided by a camera with 20x magnification. Hunter Killer accelerates to a maximum speed of 172 km/h, with the cruising speed of 160 km/h,  the killer machine can be controlled in autonomous, semi-autonomous and manual modes. Production facility is located in a symbolic place - in the capital of Ukraine.

– We do whatever it takes to make the Russians understand that the war is much more than the TV show. The war is more than staying on the couch watching someone else being killed far away. We want them to finally understand that war is when you give birth to a child in the basement, when you don't have hot water to drink, no light and you are forced to run to a bomb shelter every now and then. I would like every Russian to know the way to the nearest shelter, so that, like us, they would not understand why they cannot live a normal life. Let war be war - says CDET CEO Vadym Kodachyhov.

"Ukraine needs such devices."  Police pyrotechnicians from Ukraine received the Wiktoria explosion and fragmentation-proof container on the Zasław chassis

Ukraine has become the most mined country in the world,  according to the Slovak GLOBSEC report, about 30 percent of Ukraine, i.e more than 107,000. square km, will require time-consuming, costly and dangerous mine clearance. Experts estimate that this action could take up to 30 years. Although the statistics are terrifying, it is certain that the actual area of mined areas will only be known after the end of the war.

Police pyrotechnicians from Ukraine received the Wiktoria explosion and fragmentation-proof container on the Zasław chassis The Wiktoria anti-fragmentation container is intended for the isolation and safe transport of unexploded bombs and misfires containing up to 10 kg of TNT equivalent / 152mm/155mm NATO artillery shell, undertaken by military clearance patrols or other engineering units. Effectively protects people and the environment against shattering debris in the event of an uncontrolled explosion. The container mounted on the Zasław trailer can be used in various weather and climate conditions,

Targi Kielce joins forces with POLSA and the Endeavour Scholarship Foundation for the Future of Youth Four students will be trained at the renowned Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville.

The President of Targi Kielce, Andrzej Mochoń, signed a cooperation agreement with the Endeavour Scholarship Foundation regarding the Al Worden "Endeavor" Scholarship - Polish Team 2024. The official inauguration of the program was attended by Peter Mckenna - vice president of Kallman Worldwide Inc. and Col.  Marcin MAZUR, Deputy President of the Polish Space Agency 

The initiator of the "Endeavor" scholarship program - Colonel Alfred Merrill Worden - an astronaut, the pilot of the "Endeavor" command module at the Apollo 15 mission was a global advocate of education in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The program was created in 2019,

The Astronaut Al Worden Endeavour Scholarship is an international education program which aims to reward aspiring STEM enthusiasts and future leaders and their teachers with a hands-on astronaut training experience at the US Space and Rocket Centre's renowned Space Camp, located in Huntsville, Alabama, USA,  this centre has operates since 1982. To date, the Centre has trained over 900,000 people, several of whom have become astronauts. Named for Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden, in honour of his spacecraft, the Endeavour Scholarship pays all expenses for a week-long, hands-on astronaut training experience to Space Camp at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama

– I am happy to see such a program in Poland. I can say that I am a bit jelous;  My generation could only dream of such opportunities -  commented the president of Targi Kielce, Andrzej Mochoń.

Four students from each country (aged 15-18) and their guardians are selected through a competition. Not only does participation in the training inspire the next generation of explorers, but also helps to influence their careers and create lifelong bonds.

The 31st International Defence Industry Exhibition lasts until Friday, September 8, 2023. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawieck visits MSPO on Thursday, September 7