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
The Tip of the Spear
11:58 November 13, 2026
As a designated event of his visit to Hungary, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Chair of NATO Military Committee travelled to Camp Croft, Újmajor in the company of General Zsolt Sándor, Chief of HDF Defence Staff to inspect the readiness status of the multinational NATO Forward Land Forces Battle Group (NATO FLF BG) stationed there and its pool of military equipment.
Taking responsibility for our collective security
15:44 November 12, 2026
Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Chair of the NATO Military Committee and the delegation headed by him were received by Defence Minister Dr Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi and General Zsolt Sándor, Chief of HDF Defence Staff in Budapest. “The visit provided us with an opportunity to review the current issues of our Allied cooperation” – wrote the Minister of Defence on his social media page.
Active Ministry Involvement in UN Human Rights Review
15:22 November 12, 2026
Hungary’s fourth cycle of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) took place on November 4 in Geneva before the UN Human Rights Council UPR Working Group. The Ministry of Defence also took an active role in the work of the Hungarian government delegation. The delegation was headed by Krisztián Mészáros, MFA State Secretary for Multilateral Affairs. The Ministry of Defence was represented by Ernő Baráth, Deputy State Secretary for Human Strategy, and Dr Gabriella Ráczkevy-Deák, Equal Opportunity Officer.
International Success
12:46 November 12, 2026
One of Germany’s largest military music festivals, the Berlin Tattoo 2026, was held at the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin on November 7-8, where Hungary was represented by the Central Military Band of the HDF ‘vitéz Szurmay Sándor’ Budapest Garrison Brigade (HDF BGB).
Another Step in Defence Capability Development
12:42 November 12, 2026
“The European Union provides a very favourable loan to the Member States to develop their defence industry and defence capabilities,” said Defence Minister Dr Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi in a video posted on his social media page on November 11, referring to the SAFE loan.
Another Step in Hungarian-German Military Cooperation
12:24 November 11, 2026
Lieutenant General Zoltán Schmidt, Deputy Chief of Defence for Management, and Lieutenant General Gerald Funke, Chief of the Bundeswehr Joint Support Command Headquarters, signed a letter of intent in Bonn, aimed at further strengthening bilateral cooperation. The parties are planning to review the achieved results in a year, and working out proposals for determining the future directions of areas of cooperation.
New Chapter in Hungarian-German Relations
12:15 November 11, 2026
“We held the first Hungarian-German intergovernmental consultation in Berlin. Germany is one of our country’s most important economic and strategic partners. We are linked by many ties. These meetings provided an opportunity to review the progress made so far in a number of areas and to set out the next steps in our joint work,” said Defence Minister Dr Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi on his social media page.
Saint Martin International Reconnaissance Competition: Precision and Agility
12:11 November 11, 2026
The Saint Martin International Reconnaissance Competition was officially launched on the shooting range of Hajdúhadház, Hungary. On 10 November, Colonel Ákos Kreácsik, Commander, HDF 24th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Regiment officially opened the event, and the practical shooting competition running until the afternoon started right away.
Wall of Fire and Discipline – Being Prepared against the Flames
12:06 November 11, 2026
The soldiers of the KFOR Tactical Reserve Battalion (KTRBN) recently conducted special “Fire Phobia” training to practice how to deal with the threats posed by incendiary devices. During the tasks, emphasis was placed on overcoming fear, the professional use of shields, as well as individual and squad-level cooperation. The objectives were confident reaction, disciplined tasks execution and the maintenance of operational readiness – even in extreme circumstances.
Humans Behind Technology
12:14 November 10, 2026
The success behind Exercise Brave Warrior 2026 – that is, the multinational NATO Forward Land Forces Battle Group achieving “Combat Ready” status – was down to preparedness, professional expertise and coordinated teamwork of the soldiers operating cutting-edge military equipment. During the exercise, Hungarian, Italian and Croatian soldiers fought together as part of the battle group.