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Lieutenant General Zoltán Mihócza

08:02 August 10, 2021

Personal 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

2025_02_Gripen_RT_index

Soaring Cooperation

11:40 February 20, 2025

The partnership between Hungary and Saab AG dates back to 2001. This was the year when Hungary ordered the first batch of Gripen fighter aircraft. On 18 February 2025, the defence equipment and aircraft manufacturing company opened a new office in Budapest. In the future, the Hungarian Defence Forces, the Swedish company and the players of Hungarian defence industry will pay special attention to the development of avionics. To this end, they will establish a joint Air Capability Development Center as well.

202502_hungarian-polish_cooperation_0

Polish-Hungarian Cooperation Plan Signed This Year Again

11:14 February 18, 2025

Representatives of the Ministries of Defence of Poland and Hungary signed a military-to-military cooperation plan in Budapest on 13 February. On the Hungarian side, Colonel István Hajnal, Head of the MoD Department for International Cooperation, and on the Polish side, Colonel Sławomir Mnitowski, defence, military and air attaché of the Republic of Poland signed the document.

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Maintenance for the first time in Hungary

11:02 February 18, 2025

Aircraft technicians of the Kecskemét-based HDF 101st Aviation Wing recently carried out annual maintenance work on the KC-390 Millennium transport aircraft of the Hungarian Defence Forces inside the unique C-17 hangar of the multinational Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) Program at the HDF 47th Air Base, Pápa, Hungary.

20250217_EUFOR_visszafogadó_HSZ (0)

Earning International Recognition

10:43 February 18, 2025

The Hungarian soldiers have earned international respect and recognition for their service in the Hungarian Command Year with EUFOR Operation Althea, said Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky at the Bálna Defence Centre, Budapest on Monday.

KT20250212Lőgyakorlat_Szomód_nyitó

Side by side with the firepower

13:14 February 14, 2025

The air was glowing at the Szomód range on 12 February, when the soldiers of the 1st Infantry Battalion of the HDF 1st Armoured Brigade first used the Carl Gustaf recoilless rifles during a live firing exercise. Meanwhile, the personnel of the brigade’s 2nd Infantry Battalion practiced firing from BTR-80/A APCs. The first use of large-calibre weapons is always exciting but thanks to the appropriate preparation, the exercise was truly an experience for the soldiers.

20250213_NATO védelmi miniszterek_Brüsszel (0)

The United States is Committed but Europe Has to Do More

12:22 February 14, 2025

Hungary is significantly contributing to the collective defence of the Alliance, declared the defence minister in Brussels following the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence. Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky told us that in the international defence alliance, they had the opportunity to meet the new US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in person for the first time. We strongly support the position of the US Government regarding the conflict in Ukraine: the bloodshed must end, and efforts should focus on achieving peace as soon as possible, instead of prolonging the war, emphasized the defence minister.

202502_Ohiói Nemzeti Gárda_vegyiharc_ezred_DR (0)

Long-term Cooperation in the Field of CBRN Defence

12:19 February 13, 2025

As part of the bilateral cooperation within the Ohio–Hungary State Partnership Program, soldiers of the Ohio National Guard recently visited the HDF 102nd CBRN Regiment.

202502_BASIC AirC2 tanfolyam_AA (0)

Challenge accepted!

09:52 February 13, 2025

…this sentence was uttered while Colonel Zsolt Kálóczi, Chief of Staff, HDF 86th Helicopter Wing was introducing the instructors of the NATO Air Command and Control (AirC2) Basic Course to the personnel.

20250212_Brüsszel_Szalay-Bobrovniczky Kristóf_0

The War Must Be Ended

09:48 February 13, 2025

“We welcome the USA’s voice at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting. We agree that the bloodshed must end as soon as possible, the war – instead of taking further steps towards escalation – must be ended”, wrote Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky on his social media page from Brussels on Wednesday evening. The minister declared that Hungary currently does not deem it realistic for Ukraine to join NATO.

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Headquarters Multinational Division Centre reaches Full Operational Capability

12:52 February 11, 2025

“Strength is reflected not only in weapons and numbers, but also in the readiness and will to defend what we value highly” – emphasized Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky on Monday, 10 February, in relation with the Székesfehérvár-based Headquarters Multinational Division Centre (HQ MND-C) reaching Full Operational Capability (FOC).