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
Reservists conduct joint Hungarian-American live fire exercise
11:23 May 16, 2025
Reservists from four territorial defence regiments of the Hungarian Defence Forces are holding a joint live fire exercise together with the members of the Ohio National Guard at Bakonykúti shooting range. Brigadier General László Drót, Commander, HDF Territorial Defence and Military Augmentation Command told us that a Hungarian company and an American platoon are participating in the live fire exercise of Exercise Valiant Panther 2025.
The First Leguan 2HU Bridge Layer Has Arrived in Tata
11:11 May 16, 2025
“Well-trained, ready-for-action Hungarian soldiers, high-tech armoured vehicles – that’s what we are talking about”, wrote Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky on his social media page after, together with the arrival of three other Leopard 2A7HU main battle tanks, the first Leguan 2HU bridge layer also arrived at the HDF 1st Armoured Brigade. With the new engineering capability of the armour corps, the Land Forces of the HDF are further strengthened.
Drones, training programs, cyber warfare
11:43 May 12, 2025
The Hungarian and Azerbaijani militaries are planning to hold joint training programs, exchanges of lessons learned and technological cooperation in key areas of future warfare, such as drone technology, cyber security and special operations. This was what General Dr. Gábor Böröndi, Chief of HDF Defence Staff agreed on with the military leaders of the Caucasian republic during his official visit to Azerbaijan.
Italian job
11:35 May 12, 2025
As part of the NATO Forward Land Force Battle Group (NATO FLF BG), the Italian comrades of the HDF 11th Motorized Infantry Brigade recently exercised in Hajdúsámson. Last week the subunit put its Close Quarters Battle (CQB) capabilities to the test under realistic circumstances.
Hungarian–Austrian cooperation in focus
10:27 May 12, 2025
“On the geopolitical level, Austria’s position is complex as it is an EU member state, but is not part of NATO, our defence alliance. However, our Western neighbor takes security challenges seriously” – that’s why General Dr. Gábor Böröndi, Chief of HDF Defence Staff held discussions with his Austrian counterpart, General Rudolf Striedinger in Salzburg.
Domestic development for strengthening collective European defence
12:13 May 9, 2025
One topic on the agenda of the Space & Defense Summit held in Budapest was the enhancement of European defence capability, to which Hungary intends to contribute, among others, through the strengthening of Hungarian defence industry. “Our long-term goal is to be able to support the Hungarian servicemembers’ combat readiness with as many domestically developed and produced assets and services as possible” – stated MoD State Secretary for Force Development and Defence Policy Dr. Zsolt Kutnyánszky at the professional event.
Hungarian companies are present in international defence industry
13:10 May 7, 2025
The success of our domestic defence industry companies is important to the Hungarian economy and the Hungarian Defence Forces – said Defence Minister of Hungary Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky about the Defence Exhibition Athens (DEFEA).
Basic sport instructor training in Germany
15:55 May 6, 2025
The CISM International Basic Sport Instructor Training Course was held with the participation of eight member countries within the program of the International Military Sports Council (Conseil International du Sport Militaire, CISM) in Warendorf, Germany between 30 March and 17 April. Besides Warrant Officer András Furman, assigned warrant officer of the HDF 2nd Sustainment Regiment, the other Hungarian participant of the 24th edition of the vocational further training sports course was Lieutenant Lili Mag, an officer of the HDF 3rd Territorial Defence Regiment.
Greece is an Important Ally in Fighting Against Illegal Migration
15:48 May 6, 2025
Preserving the peace and stability of the Western Balkans and defending the European Union’s external borders are mutual interests of Greece and Hungary, declared Hungarian Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky in Athens, where he recently had discussions with Greek Minister for National Defence Nikos Dendias.
Unique trauma surgical training on the threshold of NATO certification
14:39 May 6, 2025
A multinational group of civilian and military doctors, as well as perioperative assistants participated in the course based on American traumatology and battlefield lessons learned that was held with the title “Advanced Surgical Skills for Exposure in Trauma” (ASSET) at the Department of Pathology, Forensic and Insurance Medicine of Semmelweis University in Budapest on 16-17 April.