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
Multinational Crossing
16:47 May 13, 2026
Soldiers and combat vehicles of the Hungarian-led multinational NATO Forward Land Forces Battlegroup (FLF BG) crossed the Danube by ferry at the Meszes–Gerjen ferry site near Kalocsa. Personnel of the HDF 14th Engineer Regiment and the Ohio National Guard, taking part in Exercise Szentes Castle, helped the multinational battlegroup in carrying out the task requiring coordinated teamwork on 11 May.
Strength and Speed
16:40 May 13, 2026
The Hungarian JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft (also) dashed on the spotter day of the multinational flying exercise NATO Tiger Meet, held at the Araxos Airbase, Greece.
Hungarian Defence Forces exercising with US, NATO and regional partners
16:24 May 13, 2026
“This week the Hungarian Defence Forces are conducting training events together with foreign partners on multiple locations around Hungary in the interest of developing joint operational and reaction capabilities” – said Chief of HDF Defence Staff General Dr. Gábor Böröndi. The general told us that hundreds of Hungarian servicemembers were exercising together with their Italian, American, Slovak, Slovenian and Serbian comrades during these training events organized within NATO and bilateral frameworks.
Minister of Defence sworn in
13:41 May 13, 2026
On Tuesday, 12 May, Defence Minister Dr. Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi was sworn in in the National Assembly.
The Tisza government has been formed
11:00 May 13, 2026
On Tuesday, 12 May, in Budapest, President of Hungary Tamás Sulyok appointed the ministers of Péter Magyar’s government, so the new cabinet has been formed. Hungary’s new Minister of Defence is Dr. Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi.
Oath-taking ceremony with military honors
10:59 May 11, 2026
On 9 May the new National Assembly was formed, the MPs were sworn in and the new speaker of the house was elected. President of TISZA party Péter Magyar took office as prime minister of Hungary. On the occasion of the inaugural session of the new National Assembly, the Hungarian Defence Forces were also present in Kossuth Square, Budapest, where the soldiers of the 32nd Life Guard Regiment of the HDF “vitéz Szurmay Sándor” Budapest Garrison Brigade ceremonially hoisted the flag of Hungary. The ceremonial parade involved the hussars of the Count Ferenc Nádasdy Hussar Division of the HDF “vitéz Szurmay Sándor” Budapest Garrison Brigade and the cavalrymen of the Hungarian National Ceremonial Hussar Squadron, as well as the bandsmen of the HDF Central Band.
“This Cannot Be Described, This Must Be Felt”
11:10 May 8, 2026
“At this battlegroup, the phases of theatre airlift must be known as skills”, said Lieutenant Colonel László Battonyai at the exercise of the Hungarian company of the multinational NATO Forward Land Forces Battle Group (FLF BG HUN). Under the leadership of the battlegroup commander, servicemembers practised helicopter embarkation/disembarkation in Hódmezővásárhely on 5 May.
Exercise series Adaptive Hussars continues – this year without troop movements
13:27 May 7, 2026
In synchronization with one of NATO’s major exercises, the Hungarian Defence Forces are conducting Exercise Adaptive Hussars between 4 and 15 May this year, this time without any significant troop movements.
Combating contamination
11:50 May 7, 2026
Exercise Purple Field has regularly been organized for nearly ten years in Serbia, where the specialist of the HDF 102nd CBRN Regiment have the opportunity to practice the phases of CBRN reconnaissance and decontamination in an actually contaminated environment. Prior to the large-scale exercise, the unit held a pre-exercise training session in Székesfehérvár on 6 May.
Mortar of the future
10:46 May 7, 2026
For the first time, the combat support company of the 39th Grenadier Battalion of the HDF 11th Motorised Infantry Brigade used the newly commissioned mortar system of the brigade on a live fire exercise. When coupled to the Arc Fire fire control system, the Hirtenberger 120 mm mortars provide big firepower as well as rapid and precise reaction capability.