Hungary to host EU’s largest military exercise

MILEX 2025, the European Union’s largest military exercise, will be held in Hungary from March 25 to April 10 to test land operation capabilities of the EU’s battle groups, the defence ministry said on Tuesday.

The ministry said the exercises are to test the rapid response and coordination capabilities of participating countries in a live setting. They will take place at the Pápa Air Base and the Central Shooting and Training Range, where the battle group’s readiness will be tested with live fire and tactical maneuvers.

Ferenc Kajári, the deputy chief of staff of the Hungarian armed forces, said participation in the exercise was also “an expression of Hungary’s commitment to strengthening the defence capabilities of the EU”. “The effectiveness of rapid response and cooperation will be crucial in tackling future security challenges,” Kajari added.

Fully 900 troops from Hungary, Poland, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Ireland, Spain, France, Croatia, Lithuania, and Latvia will participate under a EUROCORPS command.

As we wrote a week ago, Hungary withholds support for EU’s 800 billion euro defense plan

New EU Defense Strategy

On Wednesday, the European Commission presented the long-awaited document referred to as the “White Paper,” considered an expansion of the ReArm Europe proposal, according to Euronews. The plan aims to free up as much as EUR 800 billion for defense spending over the next four years. Although the Commission has outlined in detail which areas and how they intend to direct these funds, the specifics regarding joint financing options have not yet been clarified.

The proposal’s main objective is for Member States to support the defense industry and carry out joint procurements from a fund totaling several hundred billion euros before the end of the year. Two weeks ago, the Commission introduced the ReArm Europe concept, suggesting that through large-scale, combined orders and joint purchases of military equipment, up to EUR 800 billion could be mobilized.

The Commission primarily invokes the “national safeguard clause” of the Stability and Growth Pact to offer Member States fiscal leeway. This move would allow them to invest additional resources in defense, even if debt and budget deficits exceed the 3% of GDP threshold set by current regulations. According to an anonymous EU official, the Commission expects all 27 Member States to request the activation of the safeguard clause by April, hoping to complete the approval process before the summer recess.

At the same time, the introduction of SAFE instruments is taking shape: the Commission aims to facilitate EUR 150 billion in loans raised on the capital markets. Member States would then need to repay this loan, but decision-making might be faster, as the Commission believes the loan terms are clear and straightforward.

The Commission also notes that, through joint efforts, Member States would be able to manufacture and procure in large volumes the key elements of modern defense:

• Air and missile defense systems
• Artillery systems
• Ammunition and missiles
• Drones and anti-drone systems
• Cyber and electronic warfare tools
• AI-based defense solutions
• Strategically important military infrastructure

The clearly stated goal is for the EU to be able to respond rapidly to crises anywhere in the world without relying on external suppliers or resources.

What does the future hold?

While the White Paper’s core proposals hint at immense possibilities, the main challenge remains achieving consensus among Member States and testing the flexibility of EU-level budgetary rules. The SAFE instruments, which could enable joint financing, together with the safeguard clause in the Stability and Growth Pact, may offer some leeway. However, harmonizing national interests and diverse economic situations is no simple matter. The Commission’s clear intention is to establish a legal framework for joint defense investments before the summer and begin coordinating procurements. How quickly and smoothly this progresses, and how much actual funding will ultimately be available, largely depends on individual Member States and potential geopolitical factors. One thing is certain: EU defense integration has gained momentum not seen in decades.

Hungarian air defence artillerymen at NATO’s Largest Air Defence Exercise

According to Defence.hu, in the midst of current security challenges, it is vital that Hungary be able to conduct air policing and defend its airspace efficiently and in an integrated way. NATO capabilities development and strengthening cooperation among member states are indispensable for guaranteeing collective defence – declared the Chief of HDF Defence Staff at the military base near Vredepeel, Netherlands, where in the last few days, he was informed in person about NATO’s largest air defence exercise and the tasks of the participating Hungarian contingent.

The NATO integrated air and missile defence exercise, codenamed Joint Project Optic Windmill 2025, is being held between 16 and 26 March, with the participation of 15 allied countries, including the two new member states, Finland and Sweden. It is also new that the German Air Force has involved the outstandingly effective IRIS-T SLM medium-range surface-to-air missile system in the exercise for the first time.

Systems with heavy armaments are not visible at the location in the Netherlands, neither are there aircraft taking evasive manoeuvres in the sky. However, appearances are deceptive: air defence artillerymen are working with high concentration in order to be able to defend Europe’s airspace if needed. The training is being carried out with the help of a complex virtual simulation, which hardly differs from reality from the command and control (C2) point of view. For example, with an aircraft simulator, pilots can launch air attacks against air defence forces.

The exercise has been held every other year for nearly three decades in the Netherlands. On the previous exercise, Hungarian air defence artillerymen were only observers but this year, they joined in the task execution with their state-of-the-art equipment as active participants, as organic parts of the international community.

The backbone of the some 100-strong personnel of air defence artillerymen representing Hungary is drawn from the HDF 205th Air Defence Regiment, who are participating in the operations with a deployable Surface-to-Air Missile Operations Centre (SAMOC) and two fire units of the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS). The HDF Air Operations Command and Control Centre has also delegated servicemembers to the Joint Force Air Component directing the exercise.

“I am proud that we not only have good military equipment but also excellent officers and NCOs, who have perfectly fitted into the international environment, actively contributed to the joint training and led their subordinate units in English, the shared work language”, declared General Dr. Gábor Böröndi, Chief of HDF Defence Staff, after being informed about the goals of the complex air defence training and the precise functioning of each exercise planning element. He said that “By participating in the exercise, we are developing the capabilities of the Hungarian Defence Forces. The deep professional environment makes possible the application and through it, the validation of weapon system-related existing concepts and procedures and those currently under development in a realistic operational environment. With the lessons learned, we can ensure that our own air defence combat-related procedures adapt to real-world deployment as closely as possible.”

After seeing the deployed equipment, as well as the SAMOC and the NASAMS crews’ simulation-supported fire control activities, the Chief of HDF Defence Staff met with the Hungarian personnel and praised their professionalism and preparedness, which they prove not only in foreign international exercises but also in Hungary, in the everyday life of their own units. He said that they are the “pioneers” of the new equipment – the commissioning and appropriate operation of which is a great responsibility – procured within the framework of the armed forces development program.

General Böröndi also highlighted that the Hungarian Defence Forces are calling motivated and patriotic youngsters to join the units equipped with new military assets during the new phase of the “Man to the Hardware!” countrywide recruitment campaign, which started in the past few days. New recruits are expected to enlist in the Győr, Székesfehérvár and Budapest garrisons, where the open positions include, among others, drill team members, infantrymen, military policemen, sensor managers, Gidran tactical vehicle driver, signaller, logisticians and garrison support officers. The general specifically underlined that the HDF find a suitable place for each applicant.

The Chief of HDF Defence Staff met with Lieutenant General Jan Renger Swillens, Commander, Royal Netherlands Army, who also visited the exercise in person. General Böröndi talked about what he had seen with high appreciation and gave thanks to the Dutch host for the time, effort and energy put into the organization and the conduct of the exercise.

Within the framework of the series of exercises Joint Project Optic Windmill, allied nations have tested, practised and developed the procedures aimed at synchronizing integrated air and missile defence every other year since 1996. In military terminology, “integrated” means that the air force, the land forces and the navy cooperate in a synchronized way to counter enemy threats – such as missiles, drones or aircraft. Ultimately, even submarines can launch guided missiles.

This year, the allied countries are facing numerous virtual and practical scenarios during the exercise, with a prominent role reserved for defeating drones. The main goal of JPOW is the integration of air defence technologies and systems, creating a “system of systems” to form protective domes over certain areas. The systems must be able to be linked in terms of software and classification as well as hardware and all air defence units must use the same language and procedures.