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PHOTOS: Powerful modern Israeli defence radar erected in Hungary
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A cutting-edge Israeli-made radar system has been recently installed near Veszprém, in the quaint town of Kup in Western Hungary, as part of a comprehensive modernisation initiative within the Hungarian Defence Forces. These radars, also integral to the Israeli Iron Dome air defence system, boast continuous aerial reconnaissance capabilities.
The purchase is part of the Hungarian Defence Development Programme
The Hungarian Defence Forces purchased eleven ELM-2084 mobile radars as part of a Defence and Military Development Programme launched in 2020, Magyar Nemzet writes. The agreement was signed by Colonel-General Ferenc Korom of the Hungarian Defence Forces and Stéphane Oehrli, the president and CEO of Rheinmetall Canada Inc.
Rheinmetall Canada, a subsidiary of the German military conglomerate, already holds ties to the Hungarian defence industry. Notably, Canada presently deploys Israeli equipment within its territories.
Further agreements were reached in late 2022 by Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, Hungary’s Defence Minister, and Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz regarding this acquisition, as reported by Telex.
In the same year, Szalay-Bobrovniczky talked to Telex about the Hungarian government’s resolute aim to fortify national forces and align fully with NATO’s mandate of allocating 2 percent of GDP to military expenditures. Emphasising the imperatives of national security and military preparedness, he underscored that
“we must also be prepared for all eventualities until the peace negotiations [between Russia and Ukraine – ed.] begin.”
New radars to be tested in Western Hungary
Beyond the replacement of old Soviet-made P-37, PRV-17 and SZT-68U radio locators with the Israeli IAI ELTA’s highly sophisticated radar technology, the parties agreed to further strengthen industrial cooperation in the future. According to plans, the production and final assembly of select military equipment could be moved to Hungarian factories specialised in air defence.
