Hungarian Defence Forces

Hungary found a new top military ally in Europe

Hungary new ally in Europe military

Viktor Orbán and Aleksandar Vucic have discussed raising military industrial cooperation between Hungary and Serbia to a new level, the prime minister’s press chief said on Saturday.

The prime minister had talks with the Serbian president in Belgrade on Saturday, Bertalan Havasi said, noting that Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, the defence minister, and László Palkovics, the chief executive of N7 Nemzeti Védelmi Ipari Innovation Holding, were among officials attending the talks.

Besides discussing ways to deepen cooperation on military technology and development, Orban and Vucic reviewed the European security situation and developments around the war in Ukraine, as well as the outlook for the European integration of the Western Balkans. The leaders were scheduled to visit Batajnica air base to view “Granit 2023”, a military capability demonstration organised as part of Serbian Armed Forces Day.

Here is a video of today’s joint Hungarian-Serbian military drill:

And some photos about Orbán’s visit:

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Hungary buys high-tech Norwegian missile system

High-tech missile system Norway

A 21st-century high-tech Norwegian missile system, NASAMS, Hungary is getting from Kongsberg, Norway’s premier supplier of defence and aerospace-related systems, will reinforce the country’s air defence from this year, Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said in Kongsberg.

Maximising air defence systems is of “priority importance” for any country’s defence capabilities, the defence ministry quoted Szalay-Bobrovniczky as saying in a statement. The NASAMS system is expected to be inaugurated in Hungary in August, the ministry said.

Hungary signed the contract on the NASAMS system in November 2020. In March 2021, the country signed a financing agreement with Export Credit Norway (ECN) and the Norwegian Export Credit Guarantee Agency (GIEK) that will cover 85 percent of the 410 million euros cost of the NASAMS. The NASAMS, used widely among NATO members, will replace Hungary’s more than 40-year-old Soviet missile system, MTI wrote.

The deleagtion’s arrival in Norway:

Defence minister holds talks with Norwegian counterpart in Oslo

Norway makes a major contribution to Hungary’s air defences, a vital part of the country’s defence capabilities, Defence Minister Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky said after talks with Norwegian counterpart Bjorn Arild Gram in Oslo on Thursday. “When there is a war going on, it is particularly important to strengthen our cooperation with our partners and allies,” the ministry quoted Szalay-Bobrovniczky as saying in a statement. The focus of their talks was the creation of Hungary’s air defence system, to which Norway is providing its medium-range National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS). Its delivery and the training for the personnel operating it is going according to schedule, the minister said, adding future cooperation on the project was hopeful.

NASAMS Academy in Kongsberg:

The two ministers discussed the war in Ukraine and the responses given. Szalay-Bobrovniczky noted that Hungary’s position varied from the mainstream given the country’s proximity to the war and the large number of ethnic Hungarians living in western Ukraine. He said Hungary supported peace and would protect Hungarian people on both sides of the border. “We have condemned the war from the start and support Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” the minister told his partner.

At talks with members of the Norwegian parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, Szalay-Bobrovniczky stated Hungary commitment to NATO as an ally. The Hungarian defence minister also had talks with other representatives of the Norwegian government as well as those of the parliament, the ministry said.

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Hungarian ministry’s surprising reaction on alleged Hungarian arms deliveries to Ukraine

Hungary military Ukraine weapons

Some leaked Pentagon documents hint that Hungary may secretly allow allies to use its airspace to transport weapons towards Ukraine. Here is the reaction of the Hungarian defence ministry.

Hungary allows arms deliveries?

Politico wrote an article about how Hungary may support Ukraine with arms. The source was some leaked Pentagon documents. The information is interesting since the Hungarian government continuously said Budapest does not support Kyiv’s war with lethal weapons. Hungary welcomes the refugees and provides humanitarian help but does not support Ukraine with arms and ammunition because the government wants peace as soon as possible.

Politico wrote, based on a document, that Mi-8 military helicopters could bring weapons from Croatia to Ukraine, and Hungary opened its airspace for such deliveries. The Pentagon documents indicate that the most likely scenario is that the Ukrainian pilots would fly directly from Croatia to Ukraine via Hungarian airspace. But the operation remained in secret. The Hungarian defence ministry reacted to the allegations on Friday, 444.hu wrote. They said that Hungary would not send weapons, ammunition or soldiers to Ukraine and does not allow military deliveries to cross Hungarian soil. The ministry said the information of Politico is wrong.

Before, the Slovak defence minister, Jaroslav Nad talked about Hungarian involvement in training Ukrainian soldiers. Nad mysteriously referred to that and did not share further details then. Later, the Hungarian defence ministry cleared that they helped train military health professionals in Hungary.

Hungary left the “Russian spy bank”

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s step to withdraw Hungary from the International Investment Bank (IIB) within 24 hours after the government’s decision on the matter was in line with national interests, the leader of Jobbik-Conservatives said on Saturday. While the government’s billboard campaign claims that “sanctions do not work”, the move “has shown that some well-targeted sanctions do have beneficial effects on Hungary,” Márton Gyöngyösi said, referring to US sanctions announced on Wednesday against some 50 persons and entities, including the IIB, for their ties to Russia, MTI wrote.

“Let us hope that… beyond quitting [IIB], the government will also get back the Hungarian taxpayers’ money because they used Hungarian capital to fund the bank,” he said.

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Dozens of officers sacked from Hungary’s military intelligence!

Military intelligence Hungary

The Hungarian defence minister said this February that they would like to create an army with more young officers. Therefore, they opened a path for older crew to retire. After that, more than 100 generals and top officers were dismissed. It seems the wave reached even the Hungarian military intelligence.

Based on the information acquired by the HVG, at least 53 service people will be fired from military intelligence. The official name of the body is Military National Security Service (KNBSZ). The rate is significant because the number of personnel working for the KNBSZ barely reaches 1,000. Hvg.hu confirmed the information from multiple independent sources.

The reason is the same as in the case of military service people. The government would like to recruit younger officers and soldiers. Therefore, they opened a path to retirement for soldiers who are past their 45th birthdays and have at least 25 years of service. As a result, at least 150 officers were fired from the Hungarian military. However, the total number of the Hungarian Army is 36 thousand, while the KNBSZ is much smaller, with only around 1,000 members. The decision means the government dismisses more than 5 percent of the strength.

The timing is worse than ever

The decision is strange since Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, Hungary’s defence minister, was very satisfied with the work of the KNBSZ one year ago. He said last May that the service is the most professional and well-trained, and he expressed his support towards its head, lieutenant general János Béres.

However, based on hvg.hu’s sources, the decision does not affect top officers. HVG writes that the timing is questionable since there is an ongoing war in Ukraine which means Hungary should strengthen all branches of its army instead of sending away soldiers.

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VIDEOS: Hungary very proud on its army

Hungary army

The Hungarian army has served the country’s peace and security for 175 years, the defence minister said on Facebook on Friday.

Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said “whatever history could inflict, our soldiers heroically stood their ground, giving their blood and life for the homeland when needed”. “The future will be built on that tradition; that tradition will give the strength and background to build a modern, digital army with the courage and patriotism of today’s youth,” the minister said. The Hungarian military was formed by Hungary’s first independent government on April 7, 1848, MTI wrote.

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Minister: The whole Hungarian nation is behind NATO

Hungary Defence Forces NATO ministry

The Hungarian government and the entire Hungarian nation are behind NATO, Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said in Székesfehervár, in western Hungary, on Friday, adding that the alliance was an important guarantee for the nation’s security.

Addressing a ceremony marking the Headquarters Multinational Division-Centre’s (HQ MND-C) achievement of initial operational capability, Szalay-Bobrovniczky cited a survey saying that support for NATO among Hungarians was 7 percent higher than average support in the entire alliance.

Hungary has been a NATO member for over 20 years and has been building up its presence in the alliance step by step, the minister said.

Szalay-Bobrovniczky said the security situation in Europe had deteriorated significantly due to the Russian aggression in Ukraine. This has required NATO to adapt, he said, adding that the establishment of the HQ MND-C, which began in 2019, was part of that process.

Croatian Defence Minister Mario Banozic said that the fact that the war in Ukraine was over a year old made the HQ MND-C and the cooperation among Hungarian, Slovak and Croatian officers all the more important.

The minister underlined their efforts to improve their capabilities and boost cooperation. Security cannot be taken for granted, he said, adding that “we must make every effort to maintain the advantage we have over our potential opponents.”

“We are prepared to play a leading role and, if necessary, defend every square centimetre of NATO territory,” Banozic said. Marian Majer, Slovakia’s defence minister, said NATO had gone through significant changes since Russia annexed Crimea almost a decade ago. The alliance’s eastern flank must be further strengthened by deploying more units there, he said.

General Denis Tretinjak, commander of the HQ MND-C, said the centre’s new operational status came with new growth potential and meant that they were capable of establishing a credible and competent command.

General Luigi Guglielmo Miglietta, head of NATO’s Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum, said the alliance was prepared to meet the challenges it faces and was capable of defending its territory. He said the threats faced by the alliance were complex, emphasising, however, that NATO was capable of guaranteeing Europe’s security, its values and way of life.

Addressing a press conference after the ceremony, Majer said the HQ MND-C served as a message to NATO’s opponents, particularly Russia, and demonstrated to the rest of NATO and its allies that “we are not only committed, but also prepared to defend ourselves if anything were to happen.”

Szalay-Bobrovniczky said NATO was “making military history” by setting up the Multinational Division-Centre. He said it had become clear that NATO’s eastern flank needed to be strengthened, adding that there had never before been such a command centre in central Europe.

The HQ MND-C protects several countries in central Europe and has Polish, British, Spanish, Turkish, Croatian and Latvian troops stationed in it, he said. Friday’s ceremony was also attended by General Christopher G. Cavoli, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

Hungarian Parliament adopts pro-peace resolution

Parliament on Friday adopted a pro-peace resolution proposed by the ruling parties to mark the anniversary of the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.

The resolution was adopted by 130 votes for, 24 against, and no abstentions.

In the document, the national assembly expressed its commitment to achieving peace and called on “each member of the international community to avoid steps that could lead to an escalation of the war”. Parliament also condemned Russia’s military aggression and acknowledged Ukraine’s right to self-defence.

The opposition Socialists said it was “shameful” that the ruling Fidesz-Christian Democrat alliance had rejected the United Nation’s pro-peace resolution on the Russia-Ukraine war and instead “forced through parliament” a resolution that was “built on lies” and “obscures the responsibilities for the war”.

Socialists group leader Bertalan Tóth told a press conference on Facebook that the Fidesz-Christian Democrats resolution only served to divert attention from everyday cost-of-living problems in Hungary, “the highest inflation in Europe”, the deteriorating economy, decreasing real wages and the crisis of education, health care and social security.

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PHOTOS: A lot of Hungarian soldiers returned from Kosovo

Hungarian soldiers Kosovo

Ensuring peace in the Western Balkans is one of the most important security policy interests for Hungary and a trying task, a state secretary of the defence ministry said at a Hungarian army base in Kecskémet, in central Hungary, welcoming a Hungarian unit on return from a KFOR mission on Sunday.

“Considering Hungary’s security policy interests, Hungarian troops have been participating in operations in the Balkans since 1995,” Tamás Vargha said, adding that Hungary had contributed staff officers and army contingents to NATO’s KFOR mission since 1999. He noted that the more than 100 troops who performed their task on a high level in the KFOR Tactical Reserve Battalion have further strengthened the respect for the Hungarian armed forces.

Addressing the ceremony, Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, Commander of the Hungarian Armed Forces, said that “members of the reserve battalion have again proved to Hungary’s allies that Hungarian troops can be counted on”. Troops of the battalion have performed 250 tasks since last December when they were assigned to serve to strengthen NATO forces as tension ran high between Kosovo Serbs and local Albanians in northern Kosovo, he said.

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NATO: In this segment, Hungary is the leader

Hungary Defence Forces NATO ministry

Of all NATO member states, Hungary spent the most money on military equipment in 2022, as a proportion of its defence budget. This was reported by a recent NATO annual report.

Last year, Hungary spent around 48 percent of its defence budget on military equipment, napi.hu reports. This includes procurement, maintenance and other costs. With this, Hungary is in the first place in NATO, the report writes.

The country has been undergoing a major reform of its armed forces since 2015, the news portal writes. This includes, among other things, the complete modernisation of the Hungarian Defence Forces’ vehicle fleet, the replacement of personal protection equipment, small arms and the digitalisation of technical equipment.

The report also recognises Hungary’s role in NATO missions. These include the KFOR mission in Kosovo, the Baltic Air Defence Mission (BAP) and Hungary’s participation in other multinational exercises.

Read alsoNATO ignores Hungary’s objection, holds Ukraine committee meeting

Hungary’s security went far beyond protecting its borders

Border hunter Hungary Viktor Orbán

Since illegal migration traces its roots to Africa, Hungary’s defence minister said he had held talks with his counterparts from Kenya and Niger in Brussels with the aim of “protecting the Hungarian people and Europe”.

Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said in a video posted on Facebook on Wednesday that Hungary’s security went far beyond protecting its borders, and he noted “the constant pressure of illegal migration” at the country’s southern borders.

He said this pressure could be traced back to Africa, so it was “highly important to monitor what’s going on in these countries”.

As well as the meeting of EU defence and foreign ministers, a security policy conference is taking place in Brussels, attended by representatives of many African countries, he noted.

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Leaked: Nuclear bomber made weird manoeuvres in Hungarian airspace!

Nuclear bomber Hungary

On 9 March late afternoon, an American B–52H Stratofortress capable of carrying nuclear weapons entered Hungary’s airspace. However, the Hungarian Defence Forces stated why the plane was there and what it did only yesterday.

According to index.hu, the American Stratofortress flew under the call sign NOBLE41 and took off in Romania. The aircraft entered Hungarian airspace at 3.45 PM. It arrived in Kaposvár 15 minutes later, but it did not land. Instead, the B-52H spent some time in the skies of the Hungarian city of Somogy county. The plane continued its journey to Spain at 5.45 PM. Based on the information and data of an outlet concerned with aviation news, the aircraft carried out that manoeuvre only in the airspace of Hungary.

Of course, the Hungarian Defence Forces were aware of the arrival of the American bomber. But they did not tell why the aircraft spent time in Hungary. Based on their recent statement, the plane took part in some special Hungarian units’ training.

B-52 Stratofortress bombers working with Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29 from Graf Ignatievo Air Base:

Members of the Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) of the Kiss József 86th Helicopter Brigade carried out some “dry” inductions in the Hungarian airspace for two hours with a B–52H Stratofortress strategic bomber of the US Air Force. In this context, dry means they did not use weapons. The Hungarian Defence Forces’ statement highlighted that the opportunity was unique for the Hungarian soldiers. Thanks to that, they could practice NATO procedures with the iconic plane during daylight and after sunset.

The B–52H Stratofortress is a long-range heavy bomber flying with subsonic speed and can reach a 15 km flying height. It can carry nuclear weapons. Its range is 14,162 km without aerial fuel refill.

On 23 February, F/A–18E/F Super Hornet type fighters practiced fuel refill in the air in Hungary over Lake Balaton. The refill was carried out by a modified Airbus 330. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, NATO has sent strategic intelligence aircraft to Eastern Europe many times. These are capable of exploring airspace from hundreds of kilometres. As a result, they can notice any possible dangers in time.

Here is a video:

Read alsoWhat can you do in case of nuclear attack in Hungary?

Defence minister: We are living in an age of peril

Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky

Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said Hungarians are again living “in an age of peril” at a commemoration marking the 175th anniversary of the 1848-49 revolution and freedom fight in Szombathely, in western Hungary, on Wednesday.

Addressing the event organised by the Klapka György Equestrian Guard and Heritage Preservation Association, Szalay-Bobrovniczky said Hungary must stay out of the war in neighbouring Ukraine, but “keep the powder dry”.

Although Hungary “stands on the side of peace”, it is building an army that is “modern and uses the latest technology”, while preserving Hungarian soldiers’ “ancient virtues”, such as those of the hussars who fought in 1848-49, he added.

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Defence minister in Sweden and Finland: Hungary deserves more respect!

Szalay-Bobrovniczky minister hungary defence

Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky attended a meeting of EU defence ministers in Stockholm and held bilateral talks with his Swedish and Finnish counterparts on Wednesday.

Earlier, government communications had said that a so-called parliamentary delegation (in fact, only Fidesz politicians) would travel to Sweden and Finland to discuss the accession of the two candidates to NATO, Népszava writes. It seems that the Orbán government wanted to address someone at government level, and sent Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky on a trip to Stockholm and Helsinki.

In his address at the meeting focusing on the Ukraine war, Szalay-Bobrovniczky reiterated the position that Hungary would not send weapons or ammunition that could lead to the escalation of the conflict, according to a statement by the defence ministry.

Another topic discussed at the meeting was the development of the defence industry. Szalay-Bobrovniczky noted the Hungarian government’s measures aimed at reviving the sector and integrating it with Europe’s defence industry.

At his talks with Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson and Finland’s Antti Kaikkonen, Szalay-Bobrovniczky reassured his partners of Hungary’s standing support to the two countries’ NATO accession. He added, however, that “over the past couple of years, politicians of the two countries made false accusations against my country which is regretful.”

“Hungary deserves more respect, therefore we would like to engage in a political dialogue as partners and allies cooperating on a basis of mutual trust in future once the ratification process is concluded,” the minister was quoted as saying.

Szalay-Bobrovniczky also held talks with Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations. They discussed Hungary’s role in the UN’s peace-keeping missions and explored the possibility of Hungary’s participation in further international missions, the ministry said.

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Hungarian minister’s revelation: we do train Ukrainian troopers!

Hungary military Ukraine soldiers

We wrote earlier that yesterday Jaroslav Nad, Slovakia’s defence minister, claimed that Hungary helped train Ukrainian soldiers. Here is what the Hungarian defence ministry said regarding the information.

Hungary helps Ukraine’s military and soldiers

According to 24.hu, Hungary’s defence ministry revealed the country helped train military health professionals. They added that Hungary’s standpoint did not change on the issue. “We stand on the side of peace and do not support any steps leading to the escalation of the war”, the ministry underlined. As a result, Hungary will not send weapons or soldiers to Ukraine.

They added that they provide humanitarian support for Ukraine, the greatest in Hungary’s history. Therefore, they help in the medical treatment of Ukrainian casualties. Furthermore, the Hungarian military contributes to the Ukrainian military health professionals’ training.

Government: Hungary is pro-peace and will stay that way

Hungary is pro-peace and intends to stay that way, Máté Kocsis, the leader of Fidesz’s parliamentary group, told MPs on Tuesday in connection with a bill declaring Hungary’s position a year after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war.

The bill calls for a ceasefire and peace negotiations as soon as possible and states that Hungary will continue to refrain from sending weapons or soldiers to Ukraine. Kocsis explained the longer the delay, the greater the losses would be, noting that the bill expresses Hungary’s commitment to peace and underlines its condemnation of Russian military aggression while recognising Ukraine’s right to self-defence. He said economic and energy sanctions adopted in Brussels had not succeeded in steering Russia towards peace, so Hungary opposes broadening EU sanctions.

Further, the bill calls on the government to continue helping refugees from Ukraine. It also notes that the war had a grave impact on the Transcarpathian Hungarian community. Kocsis advised Hungarian public figures to refrain from making any statements that could lead to Hungary drifting into war. Some high-profile individuals, he added, had made it clear that they would not support the Fidesz-sponsored pro-peace declaration.

“We’ve become used to not being able to count on everyone in times of turmoil,” he said, listing the migration crisis, the pandemic, and the war. “It was also the case with sanctions, and it’s likely to be the case now.” “They are pro-war, but we are pro-peace,” he said. It would be irresponsible to declare that only Russia or Ukraine can win the war, Kocsis said, adding that the onus was on war supporters to convince peace supporters about the wisdom of arms deliveries.

Hungary’s First Man in the army, high-ranking officers out of it

Hungarys First Man President

As we wrote earlier, Hungary’s defence minister, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, dismissed more than one hundred high-ranking military officers despite the ongoing war in Ukraine. Even government-close news outlets can only guess why. The opposition says the government’s aim is to send away pro-NATO officers, but experts agree that there are no pro-Russia ones in the army and the new generation are much more pro-NATO than the old, so that cannot be a viable explanation. Meanwhile, Hungary’s First Man took the oath as a volunteer reservist of the Hungarian Armed Forces.

Demokrata, a government-close weekly, wrote that nobody knows exactly why the defence minister decided to dismiss so many high-ranking officials. Heti Válasz wrote that the next round of dismissals is on the way, commanders value currently their subordinates. Those receiving 6 or more points out of the maximum 9 can remain in the Army. Demokrata guesses the reason behind the decision is that Mr Szalay-Bobrovniczky comes from the private sector and wants to shape the defence forces alike. The official explanation is that the old generation cannot use the advanced technologies of the new weapons.

For the motherland, till death!

“I witnessed as a proud wife how my husband, István, took the oath as a volunteer reservist, together with his fellow volunteers, following training. We also need a strong reserve army”, President Katalin Novák wrote in a Facebook post yesterday. Here is the photo:

Government counting on experience of veterans

The government wants to draw on the experience of Hungary’s retired soldiers and veterans in the work of enhancing the country’s military and the esteem of its troops, the prime minister’s commissioner for priority social matters said in a video message posted on Facebook on Sunday. Zsolt Nyitrai said retired soldiers and veterans would be informed of plans for the future and given a chance to weigh in during a nationwide roadshow. He noted that there are close to 40,000 retired soldiers and veterans in Hungary.

Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, who also spoke in the video message, thanked veterans for their service and for “building the foundation which today’s generation can advance further in the interest of the security of Hungarians”, MTI wrote.

French-Hungarian JV as next step in defence industry upgrade

Hungarian Defence Forces

Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, Hungary’s defence minister, on Thursday welcomed the establishment of the French-Hungarian joint venture Satys PSP Hungary as the next step in the development of Hungary’s defence industry.

Satys PSP is the surface engineering partner of Airbus Helicopters Hungary and has set up a unit next to the Airbus helicopter parts plant in Gyula, in south-eastern Hungary.

Szalay-Bobrovniczky said that in addition to procuring military equipment, the government also wanted to bring production capacities to Hungary.

László Palkovics, CEO of Hungary’s state-owned N7 National Defence Industry Innovation Holding, the Hungarian partner in the JV, said one of the pillars of Hungary’s military upgrade strategy was the establishment of technological partnerships with foreign companies. He highlighted the establishment of the Airbus plant as a strong example of this, noting that it had quickly led to one of Airbus’s suppliers setting up a base in the country as well.

France’s Satys Group has been Airbus’s surface engineering partner for 30 years. It has invested 17 million euros in setting up its base in Gyula.

szijjártó ukraine hungary
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Hungarian military recruitment campaign aimed at reaching out to young people

Hungarian Defence Forces

The Hungarian military’s recently launched recruitment campaign is aimed at “not only to attract those already interested in a military career but to reach out to young people, offering an alliance”, the defence minister told public radio on Thursday.

The campaign also offers “dialogue with society about the importance of protecting the homeland and the development of the armed forces in recent years”, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said.

The military needs “phisically fit youth, who speak languages, and are committed to the cause of defence”, the minister said, adding that people from all walks of life “could find a place” in the army.

Concerning efforts to “rejuvenate” the military, Szalay-Bobrovniczky said they were aimed at “providing an opportunity for officers with experience in foreign missions and at NATO schools, who have served for many years and are in an excellent physical state”. He insisted that each military within NATO “faces the problem of overstaffing in higher positions”. “The government has made it possible for staff over 45, with at least 25 years in service, to leave for the civil world in a decent way and with a military allowance, giving way to young people”.

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó Ukraine Transcarpathia
Read also Hungarian government: “Hungary stands by Ukraine… but”

NATO’s new Hungarian battle group reached operational capacity first

Hungary Defence Forces NATO ministry

The Hungarian government is working to ensure the security of Hungarians in NATO at a time of war and growing migration pressure, Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky told MTI after a two-day meeting of NATO defence ministers on Brussels on Wednesday.

At the meeting, the ministers reviewed the state of strengthening defences of the alliance’s eastern flank, Szalay-Bobrovniczky said. Of the four new battle groups in the region, the Hungarian was the first to reach full operational capacity, he said.

Meanwhile, Hungary also considers the security of the Western Balkans a priority, he said. The country’s participation in international missions in Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina has been “successful and appreciated”, he said.

Hungary will have raised its defence spending to 2 percent of GDP by the end of this year, a year earlier than NATO’s deadline for the commitment, he said. The NATO summit in Vilnius in July may decide to further increase that ratio, he noted.

Regarding the war in Ukraine, the minister said: “We still want peace. All signs point to the war being drawn out, and since human lives are on the line, we must repeat: we can only save lives through peace. We continue to oppose all steps leading to an escalation,” he added.

Investments in defence industry will play a large role in preparing this year’s NATO summit, Szalay-Bobrovniczky said. “Hungary is a step ahead in that regard, thanks to the investments strengthening our defence capacity but also the economy and our international position,” he said.

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Leaked: Hungarian military plane had a mysterious accident in the USA! – PHOTOS

Hungarian defence forces plane accident USA

One of the Falcons of Hungary’s military collided with an airport tanker in the United States, suffering damages, so it needed to remain there for weeks. The story was not made public until two days ago when an opposition-close Hungarian media outlet leaked it. Because of the incident, another Hungarian military jet flew to the USA.

Nobody knew why the plane flew to the USA

According to 24.hu, the collision happened on 1 February with a Hungarian military aircraft type Dassault Falcon 7x. The call sign of the jet was 606 and it bumped into an airport tanker at the Airport of Columbus, in Ohio. Hungary’s ministry of defence confirmed the information. They added that the jet was preparing to take off when the collision took place.

According to the ministry, the plane suffered minor damages but shared no additional information about the circumstances or the consequences.

The plane departed from Kecskemét on 1 February. Shortly after its landing, it started to move again, but it was set aside suddenly, based on the data of the flight tracker sites. The plane could only return to Hungary on 10 February, last Friday.

Furthermore, the ministry sent another Falcon, having the call sign 607, to the damaged jet. That departed on 4 February, arrived in Columbus and flew home on 7 February after halting a short pause close to New York. This was the jet that took FM Péter Szijjártó to the government meeting in Sopron and then to Taskent, Uzbekistan’s capital.

Government or military jets?

24.hu said that they asked the foreign ministry why the plane went to Columbus but received no reply. But index.hu was able to track down the VIP passenger of the jet, Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, the chief of the Hungarian Defence Forces General Staff. The defence ministry’s official website shared an English language report of the visit on 10 February on, but the author did not mention the accident.

The ministry bought the two business-category jets in 2018. Later they purchased two Airbus 319 planes having 140 seats. The four aircrafts satisfy the travel needs of PM Viktor Orbán and his government. For example, in 2022, FM Szijjártó used the Falcons 110 times. Their market price was around HUF 13 billion back in 2018, but we never learned the exact price the government spent on them because that was regarded as a business secret.

Here are some photos of the Falcon:

And here you may check out some additional images of the Airbus-319 aircrafts the government also uses:

Hungary military
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