34th International Defense Industry Exhibition held in Poland
One of Europe's top three defense exhibitions
Company plans to meet Romania and other nations to explore new projects
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) said Wednesday it is taking part in the 34th International Defense Industry Exhibition (MSPO 2026), held Sept. 8-11 (local time) in Kielce, Poland.
MSPO, held annually since 1993, is considered one of Europe's top three defense exhibitions. This year, about 900 companies from some 35 countries around the world are taking part.
At the exhibition, KAI set up a future combat systems zone, presenting the KF-21 fighter jet linked with an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) and a multi-purpose unmanned aerial vehicle (AAP). It also unveiled the next-generation air combat system (NACS), which organically connects assets such as low-Earth-orbit communication satellites. Through this, the company laid out a phased development road map for its domestically developed fighter jet that could eventually be expanded into a sixth-generation aircraft.
In the FA-50 zone, KAI showcased an FA-50 configuration linked with the AAP, demonstrating expanded capabilities through a manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) system. The FA-50, KAI's bestselling model, opened the door to the company's exports in Europe after it signed a contract to supply 48 aircraft to Poland in 2022.
In the rotary-wing zone, KAI unveiled a MUM-T configuration applying an air-launched effect (ALE) drone to the Marine Attack Helicopter (MAH) and the Light Armed Helicopter (LAH). The MAH successfully completed system development last month and is drawing attention as a key asset for reinforcing South Korea's Marine Corps and bolstering national security.
At the exhibition, KAI plans to explore follow-on business opportunities with Poland. The company will also meet with officials from major participating countries with fighter jet replacement needs — including Romania, Bulgaria and Slovenia — to identify new projects.
"The performance and reliability of Korean-made aircraft, proven through the FA-50 in Europe, is fueling attention toward the KF-21, which is set to be delivered to South Korea's Air Force for the first time in the second half of this year," said Kim Ji-hong, executive vice president of KAI. "As customer interest is high in manned-unmanned teaming systems, in which our core fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft operate together with drones to carry out missions, we will continue to strengthen the footprint of Korean-made aircraft across Europe, using Poland as our foothold."
Meanwhile, Hanwha Aerospace, LIG Defense & Aerospace (LIG D&A) and Hyundai Rotem also participated in MSPO. Hanwha Aerospace and LIG D&A presented multilayered air defense systems aimed at the European market. Hyundai Rotem exhibited a Polish-configured K2 tank equipped with Polish-made mission equipment.
yeongdai@heraldcorp.com
