Lieutenant General Zoltán Mihócza
08:02 August 10, 2021Personal data:
Date of birth: 18 March 1962.
Place of birth: Budapest
Marital status: Married, with one child
Education:
1980 - 1986 Minsk Military Academy of Air Defense Missile Engineering, (Minsk, Belarus, USSR), certified radio engineer
1996 - 1997 Air Defense Gunner Advanced Officer Course (Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, USA).
2004 - 2005 US Air Force Command and Staff College (Montgomery, Alabama, USA)
Training Courses Attended:
1999 C-70 Chemical Defense Course, NATO School, Oberammergau, Germany
2000 I-32 Staff Officer Course, NATO School, Oberammergau, Germany
2001 C-29 MJLC Course, NATO School, Oberammergau, Germany
2002 NATO Logistics Course, Aachen, Germany
2007 Senior Leadership Course, George C. Marshall Center, Germany
2008 Defence Policy Course, Defence Academy, UK
2010 GFOAC Senior Leadership Course, NDC, Rome, Italy
Military career:
1986 - 1989 11/7th Air Defense Missile Division, Deputy Commander (Technical), Budapest
1989 - 1992 11th Danube Air Defense Missile Brigade, Maintenance Squadron Commander, Budapest
1992 - 1994 11th Danube Air Defense Missile Brigade, Chief of Maintenance, Budapest
1995 - 1996 11th Danube Air Defense Missile Brigade, Chief of Air Defense Missile Engineering, Budapest
1997 11th Danube Air Defense Missile Brigade, Chief of Military Engineering, Budapest
1998 HDF Meteorological Office, Chief Planning Officer, Budapest
1999 Defense Staff, Military Force Planning Directorate, Modernization Department, Research and Analysis Officer, Budapest
1999 - 2002 NATO Joint Forces Command, Group Headquarters J1/4, Logistics Planning Division, Senior Officer, Verona, Italy
2002 - 2003 MOD-DS, Force Planning Directorate, Modernization Division, Senior Officer in Charge, Budapest
2003 - 2004 MOD-DS, Secretary to the Chief of Integration, Budapest
2005 MOD-DS, Secretary to the Director of the Defense Staff, Budapest
2005 - 2006 MOD- DS, Military Planning General Directorate, NATO and Doctrinal Department, Head of Department, Budapest
2006 - 2010 MOD-DS, Operations and Training Division, Deputy Head of Division, Budapest
2010 - 2011 MOD-DS, Force Planning Directorate, Director, Budapest
2011 - 2013 HDF Office of the Military Representative, Military Representative, Brussels, Belgium
2013 - 2016 HDF Joint Forces Command, Acting Commander, Székesfehérvár
2015 - 2016 EUFOR, Chief of Staff, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
2016 - 2018 HDF Joint Forces Command, Chief of Staff, Székesfehérvár
2018 HDF Joint Forces Command, Acting Commander, Székesfehérvár
2019 - Headquarters of the Hungarian Defense Forces, Chief of Staff
Participation in operations:
2000 - 2001 KFOR HQ Pristina, Kosovo
2015 - 2016 EUFOR, Chief of Staff, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Honours:
1994 Officer Service Medal 3rd Class (10 years)
2001 NATO Kosovo Medal
2002 Service Medal for Peacekeeping
2003 Service Medal, bronze grade
2003 Officer's Service Medal 2nd Class (20 years)
2004 NATO Service Medal 2005 Service Medal gold grade
2008 Service Medal decorated with Laurel Wreath
2010 Officer's Service Medal 1st Class (30 years )
2013 NATO Service Medal
2015 Hungarian Cross of the Order of Merit, military section
2016 EU CSDP Service Medal
2017 Migration Crisis Management Service Badge
2018 US Air Force Command Staff College, International Hall of Fame Member
2019 Gyula Sipos Award of the City of Székesfehérvár
Language skills:
English: STANAG 6001 4.4.4.4
Russian: advanced level, military interpreter
Borsó Hill Covered in Snow and Grief
16:04 January 21, 2026
“Twenty years after one of the most tragic events of the Slovak nation, this year we gathered together again to commemorate those soldiers who, after their heroic performance, did not return home to hug their loved ones. We are commemorating 42 comrades who could not receive the deserved appreciation for their unselfish service, with which they contributed to keeping the peace in Kosovo. Soldiers, who are dead heroes of the Slovak Republic and the NATO military alliance, and are mourned by their homeland and, with deep condolences, our country as well”, said MoD State Secretary for Force Development and Defence Policy Dr. Zsolt Kutnyánszky in Hejce on 19 January.
The last cycle saw the most spectacular development of the Hungarian Defence Forces
12:40 January 21, 2026
In the last four-year cycle, the Hungarian Defence Forces have undergone the most spectacular development since the 1989 change of regime – stated Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky in Hódmezővásárhely on 20 January.
Hungarian KFOR Soldiers Pay Tribute to the Memory of the Battles of the River Don
12:49 January 20, 2026
In the first weeks of 2026, soldiers of the Hungarian KFOR contingent organized a special physical challenge in memory of the Battles of the River Don. The competition aimed not only to test endurance and team cohesion but also to honour historical remembrance.
They Earned the “Schützenschnur”
15:40 January 14, 2026
In early January, soldiers of the Hungarian Defence Forces’ KFOR contingent serving in Kosovo took part in a live-fire exercise organized by the German Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr).
The Hungarian Defence Forces Help in the Exceptional Snow Situation
13:27 January 8, 2026
Due to the exceptional snowfall, the Hungarian Defence Forces regrouped several pieces of equipment to different territories to get closer to possible focal points and be able to intervene within a short time if needed, said Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky in Tata on 7 January.
Results of the Armed Forces Development Were Visible in 2025
10:16 January 8, 2026
The goal of the Hungarian Defence Forces’ modernisation, which has been in progress for years, is still clear: to build armed forces decisive in Central Europe and develop the modern, NATO-compatible and high-tech armed forces, declared Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky on 29 December.
Hungarian Gidran Maintenance in Safe Hands
13:14 January 7, 2026
The selected personnel of the Hungarian Defence Forces recently participated in a combat vehicle service and maintenance course in Ankara and Tata, then gave an account of the newly gained knowledge successfully.
A Country is Sovereign Until It Can Defend Itself
12:50 January 7, 2026
Being used to peace in our comfortable world, we tend to take security for granted. However, history has not halted; only our attention is fading sometimes. Freedom and sovereignty are still values to be protected, wrote Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky on his social media page on 4 January.
Sporting challenge in KFOR
14:34 December 27, 2025
Soldiers of the KFOR KTRBN took part in the Murphy Challenge physical fitness competition held at Camp Novo Selo. The challenge, established in memory of U.S. special operations soldier Michael P. Murphy, is designed to test both physical endurance and mental resilience. Participants measured their level of preparedness by completing tasks consisting of running, push-ups, squats, and pull-ups.
Transatlantic Ferry Flight Home
18:00 December 21, 2025
Prior to its return home in November, Hungary’s second—and final—KC-390 medium military transport aircraft underwent a comprehensive inspection and acceptance evaluation. The two-week test and verification programme was conducted by a designated team of experts from the Hungarian Defence Forces at Gavião Peixoto, within the Embraer aircraft manufacturing complex in Brazil. Our short film provides a detailed insight at how the aircraft handover and acceptance process was carried out.