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
Qatari Ambassador to Budapest Says Goodbye
13:30 October 9, 2025
Dr. Zsolt Kutnyánszky, MoD State Secretary for Force Development and Defence Policy received Qatari Ambassador Abdulla Falah Abdulla Nasser Al-Dosari on a farewell visit in his office on 8 October. László Hajnik, MoD Deputy State Secretary for Defence Policy, was also present at the discussion with the head of mission who is to leave Hungary upon ending his service in Budapest.
Enemy at the gates
12:06 October 9, 2025
The multinational Special Operations Forces (SOF) Exercise Black Swan 2025 is in full swing within the framework of Exercise Adaptive Hussars 2025. One of the recent phases involved an attack on the SOF main operating base located at Sármellék (Hévíz-Balaton Airport) in the early morning hours. The opposing force (OPFOR) attempted to penetrate into the base with drones and land force units, but the territorial defence reservists on guard duty in the camp and the SOF troops successfully thwarted this attempt in an intensive firefight and drove back the attackers. All the soldiers who had been wounded in action during the armed incident received professional medical care on the spot, and then were carried to the rear.
“The flame of excellence keeps burning in Budapest”
15:14 October 8, 2025
The groundbreaking ceremony of the World Aquatics Headquarters in Budapest took place on the premises of former Láng Machine Factory on 7 October. The organization has more than 200 member countries and will direct the global development of aquatic sports from the Hungarian capital city.
NATO monitors at Exercise ADHU 25
12:39 October 8, 2025
At the request of the Chief of the HDF Defence Staff, a monitor team of NATO Allied Joint Force Command gathered strategic and execution-level lessons learned on country defence Exercise Adaptive Hussars 2025.
Leadership is the wonder weapon of modern armed forces
14:07 October 7, 2025
At the International Leadership Conference recently held on the Oxford campus of Miami University, Lieutenant General Zoltán Mihócza, Deputy Chief (Territorial Defence) of the HDF Defence Staff talked about, among other topics, the key role of leadership and human resources in the development of modern armed forces as well as the importance of cooperation between the civil and the military spheres.
The Stability of the Western Balkans is of Outstanding Importance
14:03 October 7, 2025
Lieutenant General Ferenc Kajári, Deputy Chief of HDF Defence Staff, received Romanian diplomat Constantin-Mihail Grigorie, Director of the Zagreb-based Regional Arms Control Verification and Implementation Assistance Centre (RACVIAC), in his office on Monday, 6 October.
Neighbours 2025
11:49 October 7, 2025
The Hungarian–Serbian joint Exercise Neighbours 2025 started with a flag-raising ceremony in the military training area Pasuljanske Livade at the end of September. Supporting the European integration of its neighbours is an important fundamental principle of Hungary’s security policy, so the cooperation between the Serbian and the Hungarian armed forces has been going on for several years.
Recapturing an Airport “in the SOF Way”
15:16 October 6, 2025
Protecting critical infrastructure and managing a mass casualties (MASCAL) situation were the tasks at the Black Swan 2025 multinational Special Operations Forces (SOF) exercise in Nagykanizsa, which is being conducted within the framework of country defence Exercise Adaptive Hussars 2025.
SOF troops to undergo SOFEVAL
15:05 October 6, 2025
Directed by the HDF Special Operations Command, this year the multinational SOF Exercise Black Swan 2025 is organized in Hungary as an element of the country defence Exercise Adaptive Hussars 2025 organized within NATO frameworks, and will be running until the end of October.
Hungarian Defence Forces Baltic Air Policing Mission reaches halfway point
12:14 October 6, 2025
During the two months that have passed since 1 August, Hungarian Gripens have had 11 Alpha and 43 Tango scrambles. However, the Hungarian airmen not only provide airspace protection for the Baltic republics, but are also closely cooperating with NATO forces stationed in the region. Among other things, they have participated in exercises as well as in joint demo and training flights – declared Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky.