Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Friday visited sites along the River Danube at the border of Budapest and Pest County to check flood protection preparations after recent heavy rains, his press chief said.
Bertalan Havasi said Orbánhad been briefed by water management experts and Energy Ministry officials in charge of flood protection about projected water levels and necessary measures for the whole of Hungary.
Hungarian army prepared for flood protection, says minister
The Hungarian army stands ready to help with flood protection operations if need be, Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky, the defence minister, said on Friday. According to the meteorological services, heavy rains between 50-220 millimetres are expected to trigger floods on the Danube, Mura, Lajta and Raba rivers in Hungary, Austria and Czechia over the next couple of days.
The army’s units assigned to participate in flood defence were put on alert and started conducting drills on Friday morning and the necessary communication channels with regional defence committees have been activated, defence minister said in a statement.
We’re prepared, says Orbán in a Facebook post:
It cited army chief Gábor Böröndi as saying that in line with the disaster management action plan, the army was ready to respond fast and effectively contribute to flood protection operations by ensuring personnel and technical conditions.
“Our resources including land and areal technical equipment will provide for the public’s protection,” he said.
Flood alert issued for Budapest
Based on forecasts by the national water-level service, Gergely Karácsony, the mayor of Budapest, has issued a second-degree flood alert along all flood protection sections of the River Danube in the capital, the mayor’s office said on Friday. The lower embankment of the Danube is expected to be closed to traffic from next Monday, the statement said. Starting from midnight on Friday, parking will be prohibited in the area, it added.
The Danube’s water level is expected to peak at around 8 metres in the second half of next week, the statement said.
Weather forecast for Saturday
Generally overcast and rainy with stormy winds in places. Lows: 6, 13 °C. Highs: 10, 17 °C.
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The role of territorial defence forces will increase in future and every nation has already gained experience in this field which they are ready to share at the current Moonstar 2024 multinational military exercise, the commander of the Hungarian army’s territorial defence forces said in a military base in western Hungary on Wednesday.
“The Hungarian Armed Forces can gain from the experience of Poles in building up territorial defence systems at the exercise, and they can learn certain components of Hungary’s training method,” the commander said, adding that the participating troops were learning about the arms and methods of the other nations.
The Moonstar exercise also has Croatian, Slovenian and Czech observers present, said Drót.
“In a first chapter of Moonstar 2024, the Hungarian and US army held a joint shooting exercise at the beginning of the year,” he added.
According to a press release distributed at the scene, the current exercise is being held between Sept 2 and 13 with 190 Hungarian, Polish and Slovak territorial defence force reserves.
Hungary’s anti-terrorism cooperation with Chad is of strategic importance for Hungary as well as Europe, the defence minister said on Tuesday when he briefed Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno on the water purification capabilities of the Hungarian Armed Forces and presented Hungarian-manufactured drones.
Hungarian defence minister talks about cooperation
At the meeting held in the Bálna Defence Centre in Budapest, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said migration from the south was one of the greatest security threats in Europe. Terrorism, against which Hungary and Chad were taking a stance together, was one of the root causes of migration, he said.
The two countries signed a strategic partnership agreement on Monday, which will further boost cooperation, Szalay-Bobrovniczky said.
The minister said Chad was “one of the last stable countries in the Sahel”, and Hungary was providing support to ease the humanitarian crisis triggered by the refugees fleeing armed conflict in neighbouring Sudan. Hungary is also aiding economic growth and an effective fight against terrorism, the ministry cited Szalay-Bobrovniczky as saying.
The Hungarian government, as soon as the country’s economic capabilities made it possible, launched a large-scale military and national defence development programme and “we have rearmed the air force in recent years”, Hungarian Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said on Sunday.
Hungarian Defence Minister talks about a new fleet
Speaking at the opening event of the 29th Börgönd Airshow, in central Hungary, the minister said that the Hungarian Armed Forces had brand new rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft, adding that a new fleet of Airbus helicopters had been set up. He noted that four combat fighter-bombers had been added to the Gripen fleet, and just a few days ago the KC-390 military cargo plane of the Brazilian Embraer factory had arrived.
Hungary will take delivery of a batch of new jet propulsion training aircraft next year and the most modern, world-class air defence equipment would be gradually put in use, Szalay-Bobrovniczky said.
Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczkysaid the KC-390 was part of an effort to equip Hungary, a pro-peace country, with stable, strong and reliable tools to maintain the peace.
The modernisation of Hungary’s air force is one of the priorities of a bid “to build a 21st century new armed forces with a high operational value in all modes of combat,” the minister said.
The “terrible war that has been raging in our neighbourhood for two years” also highlighted the need to protect Hungarian airspace, he said.
A new radar and missile system has been installed to that end, and Hungary has purchased Girdan and Leopard combat vehicles in a push to build a heavy-duty brigade, as part of a NATO commitment and a further step in developing its defence capabilities, Szalay-Bobrovniczky said.
Embraer Defense and Security CEO Joao Bosco da Costa Jr said the KC-390 will be equipped with an intensive care unit crucial for health-care missions, “making Hungary capable of taking on an even more prominent role within NATO and Europe.” The plane will be ready to be deployed in military as well as humanitarian operations, he said.
The Hungarian Armed Forces are purchasing two Embraer KC-390, having phased out its AN-26 cargo aircraft. KC-390’s are capable of carrying 26 tonnes of cargo and can be re-fuelled mid-air. It can carry 80 troops or 74 wounded soldiers.
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A key element in transforming Hungary’s defence capabilities is developing the country’s territorial forces, the state secretary for defence policy said at a recruitment event on Saturday.
Monthly pay is 150,000 forints (EUR 382) plus a one-year retainer payment of 600,000 before tax, he said, noting that in addition recruits who help further boost reservist numbers can receive a 500,000 forint recommendation bonus up to three times a year. Also, there is a daily allowance for the duration of the call-up.
Higher education students serving during their studies can receive a scholarship of 160,000-350,000 forints per month, as well as extra admission points and the chance of advancement, leading to a higher salary and rank.
Kutnyánszky noted a slew of new investments aimed at creating a modern, effective army, mentioning the recent delivery of three more Leopard tanks, while the first Hungarian-made Lynx rolled off the production line in Zalaegerszeg in the summer. In addition, a medium-caliber ammunition factory has been inaugurated in Varpalota, he noted.
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Most EU member states are considering steps that could lead to the escalation of the war in Ukraine, Hungary’s defence minister said after an informal meeting of EU defence ministers in Brussels on Friday.
The meeting had a pro-war atmosphere with all addresses calling for continued military support to Ukraine, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky told a press conference.
Defence minister: The only solution is through diplomacy
He reiterated the Hungarian government’s position that the only “enduring solution” to the conflict was through diplomacy with an immediate ceasefire and negotiations.
A proposal on conducting EU military trainings for Ukrainian soldiers in Kyiv was also discussed, the minister said, adding that such a step would carry the risk of an escalation of the war. “Hungary wants to prevent that,” he added, insisting that “dragging the EU and NATO into this conflict must be avoided”.
He said Hungary did not support proposals on providing financial support to Ukraine’s armed forces until Hungarian businesses were sanctioned in Ukraine and measures endangering energy supplies to Hungary were in place.
The minister noted Hungary’s continued active participation in EU military missions including the EUFOR Quick Response 24 annual exercise.
The current Hungarian EU presidency also supports other EU initiatives for the “global South including the Sahel region”, Szalay-Bobrovniczky said. Hungary will contribute from October to the EUNAVFOR Aspides military operation at the Red Sea and will participate in the EU’s military training in Somalia in 2025, he added.
The national economy ministry will exercise the state’s ownership rights in N7 Holding National Defence Industry Innovation Company from August 1, the ministry said on Thursday.
The ownership rights were earlier exercised by the defence ministry. The change is in line with the government strategy to achieve a more organic integration of the defence industry and related R+D activities into the national economy, the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said one of the main goals was to ensure that defence industry companies, in cooperation with strategic partners, are able to meet the future development needs of the Hungarian Armed Forces and enter the international market, thereby guaranteeing the industry’s long-term future.
It said the development of a competitive defence industry was a matter of sovereignty and a priority strategic goal. The ministry also noted the defence industry’s growing contribution to Hungary’s economic growth.
Ferenc Antal, an economist and lawyer who was earlier manager at Deloitte Switzerland’s advisory practice, has been appointed CEO of N7 as of August 1. His task will be to develop and implement the corporate governance principles that ensure successful operation along the lines of Hungary’s defence industry strategy, the ministry said. The former CEO wasLászló Palkovics, Hungary’s innovation and technology minister, who left with mutual agreement.
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Hungary will be self-sufficient from now on in the production of 30mm medium-calibre shells, Hungarian Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said at the official inauguration of Rheinmetall’s ammunition plant in Várpalota, in western Hungary, on Monday.
Hungarian Defence Minister talks bout self-sufficiency
Hungarian Defence Minister Szalay-Bobrovniczky said few ammunition plants in Europe matched the one in Várpalota in quality, adding that the plant will also make ammunition for the armoured infantry fighting vehicles manufactured in Zalaegerszeg.
The plant in Várpalota will guarantee the quality of Hungary’s defence industry, as well as the safety of those living in the area, while also creating a lot of new jobs, the minister said. Some 50 people will be working at the factory, but headcount will increase to several hundred as production ramps up, he added.
The plant will be expanded with further elements over the coming months and years, and will also manufacture 155mm calibre artillery shells in addition to 120mm tank ammunition, he said.
The Hungarian Defence Minister said the Russia-Ukraine war had demonstrated that “nothing is as important as having everything needed for battle at our disposal.”
“Cutting-edge technology is indispensable, but not enough to fight successfully, but if there’s ammunition, there’s also success,” the minister said.
He said Europe had recognised that it could not remain idle, but had to completely rebuild its defence industry capacities, and specifically ammunition production. The supply of ammunition to Ukraine by European countries, he added, had significantly reduced their strategic munitions reserves, and the European defence industry could barely keep up with the increased demand.
Hungarian Defence Minister Szalay-Bobrovniczky said Hungary was also ahead of “its European Union friends and allies”, arguing that the plans for the Várpalota plant had been completed well before the start of the war and construction had gotten under way quickly. This, he added, had resulted in the emergence of a defence industry in Hungary in the form of factories employing “a Hungarian workforce with high-tech knowledge” which greatly reduced the country’s military dependence.
Armin Papperger, Rheinmetall’s chairman and chief executive, said the company was planning to export not just medium calibre ammunition, but also calibres up to 155mm globally. He said the Várpalota plant is capable of producing more than 240,000 rounds of tank ammunition a year.
He said the 30mm calibre ammunition plant was a 300 million euro investment, but Rheinmetall is investing a total of half a billion euros in Várpalota through a German-Hungarian joint venture, as it will have to fulfill a 54 billion euro order stock.
Another three high-tech Leopard 2 A7 tanks have been added to the Hungarian army heavy brigade, the defence minister said on Tuesday.
Photo: Defence ministry, Hungary
The ministry cited Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky as saying that three of the world’s most modern tanks were arriving on Tuesday. As a result, the Hungarian army heavy brigade fleet would be expanded to include eighteen tanks, he added.
Szalay-Bobrovniczky said that the introduction of the Leopard 2 tanks into service marked a new era in the development of Hungary’s military force which he said was progressing as planned.
A total of 44 such high-tech tanks are set to be delivered to Hungary by 2028, he added.
Hungary has offered strategic air medical evacuation capacity consisting of an Airbus 319 aircraft and flight and health-care personnel to the Polish-led EUBG battle group, the Hungarian Armed Forces said on Saturday.
The aircraft and staff will not be an active participant in the battle group but prepared to fly 200 hours as supporting capacity in the second half of 2024 and the first half of 2025, the press secretary of Brigadier General Csaba Ugrik said. The capacity will be stationed in Hungary, he added.
Brigadier General Csaba Ugrik (right). Photo: MTI/Ujvári Sándor
If necessary, the aircraft will be used to support EUBG operations in strategic airborne medical evacuation tasks, he said, entailing the evacuation of wounded soldiers to Warsaw, Prague, Bratislava or other airports, the armed forces said.
The defence minister said he discussed Europe’s security situation and the risks posed by the war in Ukraine with David Pressman, the US ambassador to Hungary, on Wednesday.
In a post on Facebook, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky noted that NATO is holding a summit in Washington, DC in less than two weeks. Hungary joined the military alliance that marks its 75th anniversary this year 25 years ago, the minister said.
Hungary is a committed and loyal NATO ally, Szalay-Bobrovniczky said. The country will however not contribute money, weapons or soldiers to the alliance’s coordination mission on weapons deliveries to Ukraine and military training, but will not block such efforts, either, he said.
“I informed Ambassador Pressman about the Hungarian government’s step that will affect American soldiers serving at the military air base in Pápa,” the minister said, noting that a draft legislation allowing the US soldiers to obtain Hungarian number plates in a simplified procedure would soon be launched for a public consultation.
The US Embassy also posted a summary of the meeting
The Hungarian media outlet sent questions to the Hungarian Ministry of Defence but received no answer. 24.hu wanted to know whether the plane’s mission was somehow related to the Orbán cabinet’s planned Chad mission, which the parliament approved last year.
Illustration. Photo: Hungarian Defence Forces/FB
Hungary would like to send soldiers to Chad
Based on the plans, the Hungarian military would send 200 officers to the unstable Central African country to protect multiple Hungarian development projects and help train local forces. Gergely Gulyás, Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, said there was no exact schedule for the mission earlier this month.
Hungarian soldiers departing to Chad? Photo: Hungarian Defence Forces/FB
Orbán Jr on the hunt for raw materials in Africa?
Based on information acquired by Vsquare from the inner circles of the government, the Chad mission is Captain Orbán’s idea. He convinced the decision-makers that they could acquire uranium and crude oil in the Central African country.
However, hvg.hu says Hungary does not have the means and technology to utilise these raw materials. Therefore, Hungary would need Russian help for processing the materials.
PM Orbán’s son tried to disguise himself in Chad:
And even hid behind coloumns (but the hat is the same):
French-American request
Meanwhile, Világgazdaságwrote that sending Hungarian troops to Chad was the idea of the French, and the Americans approved it after their troops had to leave the country. Hungary would have taken part in the so-called Takuba-Barkhane in West Africa with 16 European NATO members. The mission never began, but the French requested Hungary’s presence in the Chad mission.
Since Chad is vital to the USA, such a request required the approval of Washington. Világgazdaság wrote that based on their information, only Hungary got a similar request from Paris (and probably the Americans).
Orbán and Macron: together in Africa? Photo: facebook.com/orbanviktor
A reason might be that Budapest is the only European NATO member still maintaining some form of contact with Moscow. Putin had a strong positions in Chad. Furthermore, the Central African Republic even got a military base used by soldiers of the late Wagner.
Explosion close to the future Hungarian military camp
Minister Gulyás could not tell when the first Hungarian soldiers would arrive in the war-torn country. But 168.hu wrotetheir campsite would be close to the recently blown up ammunition depo.
On Friday, the Hungarian government announcedthat Budapest would extend the Hungary Helps Programme to civilians wounded in an explosion of an ammunition depot in N’Djamena, and to the capital city’s central hospital. The Hungarian government opened a complex humanitarian and development centre in the capital of Chad in January this year to strengthen the stability of the Sahel, MTI wrote.
Azbej Tristan leaving Chad. Who will be the one to come back? Photo: FB/Azbej Tristan
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Hungary is committed to boosting European defence capabilities, Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said in Berlin late on Tuesday, after talks with German counterpart Boris Pistorius.
The EU “must become a credible defence player”, Szalay-Bobrovniczkysaid, according to a ministry statement. Hungary is committed to supporting those capabilities, he added.
The ministers discussed defence priorities of the coming six months, when Hungary will take over the EU’s rotating presidency. In times of war defence, security and boosting defence capabilities must be an important element of the presidency, he said.
Hungary sees strengthening European defence industry as a priority, Szalay-Bobrovniczky said. The government started military development in Hungary in 2016, a project the EU started championing just recently, he said.
At the same time, Hungary’s security “does not start at the country’s borders”, and so the presidency will prioritise the integration of the Western Balkans and boosting the Sahel “as a way to combat illegal migration and terrorism”, the minister said.
Let’s make Europe great again, the minister’s video published on Facebook kicks off:
Szalay-Bobrovniczky and Pistoriusalso discussed support for Ukraine. Szalay-Bobrovniczky said Hungary’s stance was unchanged, adding that only an immediate ceasefire and peace talks could bring an end to the war.
“Hungary’s pro-peace government was further strengthened at the June 9 elections, so it continues to reject [moves] threatening escalation, and we won’t contribute to NATO’s coordination mission with money, weapons or troops, and won’t support similar efforts by the EU either,” he said.
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New tradition starts: new guard of honour at Buda Castle – Video, photos and details in THISarticle
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Minister of Defence Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky announced on his social media page that a new tradition has begun at the Buda Castle. From now on, reserve soldiers of the seven territorial defence regiments of the Hungarian Defence Forces will stand guard in front of the main building of the Castle.
New guard of honour at Buda Castle
In Hungary, there are seven territorial defence regiments of reserve soldiers who serve in the military besides their studies or civilian occupation. Their primary vocation is to defend their home and the region of their country and to pursue continuous self-training. The minister said that a new public element has now been added to their duties: each regiment’s personnel will take two-weekly shifts to stand guard on Capistrano Square.
The entire reserve staff has been trained for this task, in addition to the command training of the field regiments. In addition to the formalities, they have been taught how to perform a change of guard and how to deal with any offense they may encounter.
New tradition starts new guard of honour at Buda Castle. Source: honvedelem.hu
New tradition starts new guard of honour at Buda Castle. Source: honvedelem.hu
New tradition starts new guard of honour at Buda Castle. Source: honvedelem.hu
New tradition starts new guard of honour at Buda Castle. Source: honvedelem.hu
New tradition starts new guard of honour at Buda Castle. Source: honvedelem.hu
Defence ministers of NATO have confirmed in a meeting in Brussels that Hungary could stay away from the organisation’s NATO mission in Ukraine, Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said in a video on Friday.
“Hungary loyal member of NATO”
“Hungary will continue to be a committed, loyal, and appreciated member of NATO,” the minister said on Facebook.
Photo: Facebook/Szalay-Bobrovniczky Kristóf
Referring to a recent agreement between Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the minister said “Hungary would stay out of the mission NATO is planning to launch in connection with the war in Ukraine, with 31 countries participating.” Hungary will not contribute “money, arms, or troops” to that cooperative effort “but will not block it, either,” he added.
Szalay-Bobrovniczky said he had told his Ukrainian counterpart, who had attended the meeting, that “the Hungarian minority is actively participating in the war … several of them have made the biggest sacrifice, giving their lives for Ukraine.” “Therefore it is justified to expect that all earlier rights are restored to the Hungarian minority,” he added.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has confirmed that any military operation outside the organisation’s territory can only be performed on a voluntary basis, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said at a joint press conference held after talks with Stoltenberg in Budapest on Wednesday, adding that “Hungary has received all the necessary guarantees” from NATO.
Orbán said he had made it clear during talks that Hungary would not block NATO decisions “which could differ from the rational position based on our assessment of the situation but which other members share and support.”
The prime minister said that in Hungary’s recent European parliamentary election voters “have given a mandate that Hungary should not participate in any military action outside NATO territory”.
Orbán wrote on Facebook: “We have reached an agreement with the NATO Secretary General. We do not have to participate in military action outside Hungary. We will not send men, weapons or money to war!”
Stoltenberg: NATO accepts Hungary’s non-participation in operations to support Ukraine
NATO accepts Hungary’s position under which the country does not wish to participate in military or financial efforts towards supporting Ukraine, while Hungary would not block such NATO efforts, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after talks with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Budapest on Wednesday.
At a press conference held jointly with Orbán, Stoltenberg said he was expecting an agreement at NATO’s July summit in Washington, DC, under which the organisation could take a leading role in coordinating and promoting security support and training for Ukraine.
Stoltenberg said he hoped NATO would take a long-term financial commitment to provide military support to Ukraine, adding that it would ensure NATO’s predictability and reliability for Ukraine. He referred to Orbán stating that Hungary would not participate in those NATO efforts, adding that “I accept this position”.
Stoltenberg welcomed that he and Orbán had made an agreement ensuring ways for Hungary’s non-participation in NATO’s support for Ukraine. He confirmed that no Hungarian personnel would take part in those NATO activities and no Hungarian funds would be used for such purposes.
The NATO chief said Orbán had assured him that Hungary would continue to meet its NATO commitments in full. He said Hungary had always been a highly esteemed NATO ally in the past 25 years and highly appreciated the Hungarian prime minister stating that Hungary would remain “a loyal and committed” NATO ally.
Stoltenberg noted that Hungary was leading a multinational NATO unit and also hosted an important multidivision headquarters while it also supported stability in the Western Balkans and participated in KFOR’s peace-keeping operations in Kosovo. He added that since the start of Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine Hungary had continued to accommodate Ukrainian refugees and helped in the rehabilitation of injured soldiers. All those efforts have contributed to common security, the NATO chief said.
Hungary is a loyal member of NATO
Hungary is a “loyal and committed member” of NATO, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said after talks with Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary general, in Budapest on Wednesday.
Viktor Orbán and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on 12 June 2024. Photo: MTI/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Fischer Zoltán
Hungary currently has 1,300 troops participating in NATO missions, Orbántold a press conference held jointly with Stoltenberg. He added that Hungary was “one of the not too many countries” that performed “all their commitments” to NATO, its defence spending exceeding 2 percent of GDP and “also meeting the 20 percent capability development goal”.
Hungary also participates in airspace policing missions, too, in Slovakia, Slovenia, and on several occasions in the Baltic states, the PM added. Hungary also serves as “a crucial embassy linking NATO with central Asia and Africa,” he added.
Hungary will continue to meet its commitments in full in the future, the prime minister said.
Orbán’s press conference with Jens Stoltenberg:
Orbán praised Stoltenberg as a NATO leader highly appreciated in Hungary, adding that under his leadership cooperation between Hungary and NATO had strengthened.
Orbán also noted his government’s position on the war in Ukraine being different from that of most NATO members and said he acknowledged “the significant weight and number” of different positions.
He said he had made it clear during the talks that Hungary would not block NATO decisions “which could differ from the rational decisions based on our assessment of the situation but which other member states share and support”.
Hungary has received the required guarantees from Stoltenberg that “any military operation outside the organisation’s territory can only be performed on a voluntary basis,” Orbán said. The prime minister said in Hungary’s recent European parliamentary election voters had given “a mandate that Hungary should not participate in any military action outside the territory of NATO”.
Asked about guarantees ensuring that Hungary could not be forced to get involved in the war in future, Orbán said there were “two such guarantees: one is the Hungarian government and the other is the NATO secretary general”.
“We have received all [guarantees] that were necessary to resolve open issues … we had difficult but constructive talks concluded with a fair agreement,” Orbán said
The Hungarian armed forces are receiving another 13 Gidran armoured vehicles at its base in Tata, in western Hungary, on Tuesday and Wednesday, the defence minister said in a statement.
Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said the new vehicles manufactured in Turkey will be used by recruits who joined the forces in the wake of a government campaign in February.
The minister said the Gidrans had first arrived at another base, in Kaposvar, in southern Hungary, where they were equipped with radios and other systems in preparation for their deployment.
Hungarian military receives another 13 Gidran armoured vehicles. Photo: honvedelem.hu
There are already 10 Gidrans in Tata, serving a rifle company under NATO’s Forward Land Forces Battle Group, the minister said.
