NATO war games in Hungary with 30,000+ soldiers and personnel – photos, video
Among NATO member states, Hungary is currently hosting the largest and most complex military operation dubbed Adaptive Hussars 2025 (ADHU25), Chief of the Hungarian Defense Staff Gábor Böröndi said on Tuesday.
Böröndi said at a river crossing operation during the exercise in Fajsz, southern Hungary, that the largest-scale defense exercise, involving the most people and technology, involved more than 200 vehicles and 22,000 personnel, with 7,068 soldiers currently in action.
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He added that the Hungarian soldiers were carrying out their tasks in an international force and with Croatian support, stating that “we can be proud of the Hungarian soldiers, and the Hungarian people should be proud of the Hungarian Armed Forces.”
‘Peace comes from strength, strength from brains’, says minister
“Peace comes from strength, and strength from brains,” Defence Minister Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky said at the AI Summit 2025 in Budapest on Tuesday, in his keynote speech on AI’s role in defence.
The digitalisation of the Hungarian Armed Forces have been progressing apace for years, and AI “may be a multiplier of our force”, he said.
Hungary started developing its armed forces 10-15 years ago, earlier than others in the region, he said. In order to keep that edge, further development must focus on digitalisation and the use of AI, he added.
Modern technology is constantly replacing analog equipment, and Hungary has a “younger staff with a renewed approach” to handle it, he said. The aim is to turn the Hungarian Armed Forces into a determining force of the region, he added.
AI has a role in digital warfare and in data analysis, he said. Digital soldiers could wear sensors, and AI would be capable of analysing the resulting data or even following battleground events in 3D, he said.
Well-trained soldiers always needed
The minister said the Armed Forces are also using autonomous systems such as the HERO Autonomous Ammunition System, capable of identifying and following targets and providing reconnaissance data, he said. AI is also used in training and supply management, he added.
Meanwhile, challenges in the field included coordinating allies’ technologies while maintaining data and cyber security. Extant systems must be developed to be compatible with AI. Developments are necessary “because otherwise we will suffer a competitive disadvantage,” he said.
Further, autonomous systems raised legal and ethical dilemmas, he said. “No matter how tech develops, it can’t replace well-trained soldiers.”
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Check out some photos of the Adaptive Hussars 2025 military drill below:
