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 ADA Officers Advanced Course, El Paso, Texas, USA
2004 - 2005 Air War College, Montgomery, Alabama, USA Master degree – strategic studies
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
Cutting-edge technology in the air
12:08 June 4, 2026
“It can be armed, used for the tasks of special operations, in support the land forces, for air assault and close air support, and for the execution of any logistic transport task” – this was how Colonel Krisztián Kovács, Commander, HDF 86th Helicopter Wing praised the versatility of the H225M helicopters at the 5th conference of the H225M User Group on June 2.
Chiefs of Staff of V4 Countries Hold Discussions in Budapest
10:49 June 4, 2026
The chiefs of staff of the Visegrád Four—including General Zsolt Sándor—met in Budapest on June 3 to discuss current regional challenges and coordinate their common objectives. The conference focused on technological issues in modern warfare, including counter unmanned aerial systems (UAS) capabilities.
Complex tasks and modern drone capabilities in allied harmony
10:22 June 4, 2026
State-of-the-art technological developments and international cooperation recently played the main role at an airbase near Beja, Portugal. Together with Portuguese, Spanish and Belgian service personnel, the soldiers of the ISTAR UAV company of the HDF 2nd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Regiment used various types of fixed-wing UAVs in practicing the reconnoitering of enemy activity, the monitoring of vehicles and the surveillance of facilities on the ground and the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean.
Joint development is the key to success
09:52 June 4, 2026
We’ve had a huge partnership since 1993, so we’ve been developing together for a long time. The Hungarian reserve system looks very similar to the Ohio National Guard, and we’re always excited about the joint exercises with the Hungarian forces – said Major General Matthew S. Woodruff, Adjutant General, Ohio National Guard on the first day of his visit to Hungary.
Tribute was paid in Kosovo to our soldiers who fell in World War I
16:03 June 2, 2026
On the occasion of Heroes' Day, soldiers of the 34th rotation of the Hungarian Defence Forces KFOR Contingent paid tribute to those who fell in World War I at the Austro-Hungarian military cemetery in Peć/Pejë, Kosovo. Prior to the event, a group of Hungarian peacekeepers volunteered to maintain the cemetery to ensure it was neat and dignified for the commemoration of the Hungarian heroes.
Strong Lineage 2026: precise, synchronized, international
17:46 June 1, 2026
Besides the Slovak training areas, Exercise Strong Lineage 2026 of the Slovakia-based NATO Multinational Brigade Task Force was conducted in the Bakony Hills, Hungary. The Spanish subunit (Task Force Bravo) of the brigade conducted live-fire training on the “Zero point” shooting range and training area, where its soldiers maneuvered, synchronized fires and took aim precisely on platoon level with their Uro Vamtac combat vehicles.
From Hungary to America, from Ohio to Újdörögd
14:15 June 1, 2026
“This is the last exercise before departing for America, and it’s a real challenge to me as squad leader” – said Sergeant First Class Rafael Tóth in the Újdörögd training area. “We’ve been really impressed so far with how the Hungarian Defence Forces have done in the exercise” – told us Captain Joshua Digman on this year’s Exercise Valiant Panther. Both are reservists and university students. Sergeant First Class Tóth is studying as computer science engineer at Pannon University, while Captain Digman is a law student in Ohio, and participated in the training of Hungarian territorial defence forces as a mentor and evaluator.
Without borders – in special operations
14:10 June 1, 2026
The soldiers of the Hungarian Defence Forces Special Operations Command also participated in the international Special Operations Forces Exercise Trojan Footprint 2026, which was hosted, among others, by Hungary as well. The large-scale training event running in several countries involved the Hungarian, Slovak, Slovenian and American SOFs, which jointly carried out complex operation on the ground, on water and in the air with the objective of developing interoperability.
Sunsets and mirages
13:07 June 1, 2026
Hungarian poet Endre Ady summarized the feelings he had experienced along the River Tisza and on the infinite grassland in beautiful poetic tropes of his poem entitled “The poet of Hortobágy”. The soldiers of the Hungarian Defence Forces 2nd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Regiment gained similarly moving experiences during their training jumps performed above the airport of Hajdúszoboszló.
Hungary is helping with security across the Alliance
18:23 May 30, 2026
While visiting Hungary, General Alexus G. Grynkewich, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), Commander, United States European Command personally witnessed that Hungary is delivering on its commitments in the defence Alliance. Besides evaluating and analyzing the military development program, he also discussed the directions of further development with the leaders of the Hungarian Defence Forces.