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Attendance Record Broken – 155,000 Visitors in One Day!

15th NATO Days in Ostrava & 6th Czech Air Force Days were officially opened today by the remarks of the Czech and Swedish Ministers of Defence Mr Stropnický and Mr Hultqvist, the Ostrava City Mayor Mr. Macura and of other officials. With flags of 16 participating countries flying and visited by 155,000 spectators, the first day of the biggest security show in Europe began at the Ostrava Leos Janacek Airport.

A total of eight hours of the air and ground dynamic presentations was complemented by the displays of the best of the equipment of the armed forces, police, customs service, firefighters and other security or safety agencies. Almost 200 individual pieces of aerial and ground equipment were put on display. Saturday’s highlights included the opening flypast of the Czech Air Force, flyby of the Swedish Air Force historic Flight and the display by the Royal Navy Lynx Mk8 helicopter. Static display was dominated by the mammoth Royal Netherlands Air Force KDC-10 tanker aircraft and included also the brand new Czech plane – an Aero L-39NG demonstrator. Spectators greatly appreciated the joint presentation by the Jordanian Armed Forces special all-female company and the 102th Reconnaissance Battalion of the Czech Army, demonstrating the rescue of the hostages.

This year´s Special Partner Nation was Sweden and the spectators continuously besieged its rich and varied display of equipment. In addition to the wide displays of aircraft, the Swedish Armed forces presented the Archer heavy artillery system, the CV 90 combat vehicle and an all-terrain BvS10 track vehicle, making this combined exhibit the most remarkable displayed foreign ground presentation in the 15-year history of the event.

As a rule, the aircraft demonstrations were the most attractive. On the ground this year, the giants gathered – the legendary US B-52H Stratofortress strategic bomber, C-17 Globemaster III from the Strategic Airlift Capability Programme flying for the Swedish Armed Forces, unique KDC-10 tanker, KC-135 Stratotanker,  several C-130s Hercules, a C-27J Spartan and a C-160 Transall. If all these aircraft were put in a line, it would be a formation longer than two sets of the Pendolino SuperCity trains of the Czech Railways. Other crowd-pullers included the CV-22B Osprey convertoplane and light attack Beechcraft AT-6.

See you at
15^th NATO Days in Ostrava & 6^th Czech Air Force Days!

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