POLAND, Friday 6 Sept 2012 – A delegation led by Col (Rtd) Pg Dato Paduka Haji Azmansham bin Pg Haji Mohammad, Permanent Secretary (Defence Policy and Development) attended the 21st International Defence Industry Exhibition (MSPO) in Kielce, Poland and conducted a site visit to the PZL Mielec facility on the 2nd September until the 5th September, 2013.
The annual MSPO Exhibition is a forum for potential clients and suppliers to meet as it provides the grounds for where latest military technologies, armaments and products for the army are showcased and discussion exchanges are held.
The purpose of the delegation was to meet with potential Polish suppliers and other leading global manufacturers in the defence and security industry in order to promote capability building within the Ministry of Defence, Brunei Darussalam. Other than meeting potential Polish suppliers and other leading global manufacturers in the defence and security industry, the delegation also had the opportunity to meet Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, Polish Minister of National Defence, and made courtesy calls to Minister Waldemar Skrzypczak, Undersecretary of State for Armament and Modernisation, and Minister Bogusław Winid, Undersecretary of State for Security Policy in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The visit to the MSPO Exhibition and the courtesy calls are a stepping stone for the strengthening of bilateral ties between Brunei Darussalam and the Republic of Poland.
In addition, the visit also promoted Brunei Darussalam’s very own defence and security event, BRIDEX 2013 in which, a Polish Defence Company, WZM (Wojskowe Zakłady Motoryzacyjne Spółka Akcyjna), will be sending their Rosomak armoured personnel carrier (APC) for the exhibition. This year’s BRIDEX will expect a prominent Polish presence where a National Polish Pavilion will be set up to showcase their latest defence technologies and equipment as it will be the backdrop for the formal signing of the defence agreement between Brunei Darussalam and the Republic of Poland.
On the last day of the trip in Poland, the official delegation proceeded to conduct a site visit of PZL Mielec, one of Sikorsky’s aircraft assembly lines, to observe the completion progress of the S-70i™ BLACK HAWK helicopters. The Ministry of Defence will also be expecting the delivery of the first batch of S-70i™ BLACK HAWK helicopters that was contracted to Sikorsky as part of Royal Brunei Air Force’s helicopter fleet modernization in time for the BRIDEX 2013.
