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
Lebanese Ambassador Leaves After Nearly Eight Years
13:22 August 12, 2025
Dr. Zsolt Kutnyánszky, MoD State Secretary for Force Development and Defence Policy, received Ms. Joanna Maria Azzi, outgoing Ambassador of Lebanon to Budapest, on a farewell visit on Monday, 11 August.
First Live Deployment in the Baltic Region
16:04 August 11, 2025
The first live deployment of the Hungarian Gripens occurred due to Russian aircraft, within the framework of the 2025 NATO Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mission.
New Dimensions in the Hungarian Air Defence – NASAMS Sub-units Join in
13:43 August 11, 2025
To enhance the reaction capacity of the air defence, a NASAMS sub-unit of the Győr-based air defence regiment is settling in Budapest and will serve with designated forces at HDF territories suitable for the duties, near the towns of Pécel and Isaszeg, said Chief of Defence General Dr. Gábor Böröndi. The duties of the sub-unit are dual: besides national defence, it also contributes to joint defence within the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence System, pertaining to its Alliance commitments.
The Lynx fleet has expanded
10:47 August 8, 2025
Another Lynx KF-41 infantry fighting vehicle has arrived in Hódmezővásárhely, thus further increasing the combat strength of the Hungarian Defence Forces. The training programs needed to operate the armored fighting vehicle are continuously going on at the HDF 30th Mechanized Infantry Brigade.
Hungary and Slovakia continue to be strategic partners
10:02 August 8, 2025
On 6 August, Dr. Zsolt Kutnyánszky, MoD State Secretary for Force Development and Defence Policy received Slovak Deputy Defence Minister Igor Melicher at the annual meeting of the Hungarian–Slovak Joint Commission on Military, Security and Political Issues. During the meeting, it was reasserted that Hungary and Slovakia continue to be strategic partners in the field of defence.
In the depths of a glacial lake
16:12 August 6, 2025
The EOD divers of the HDF 1st EOD and Riverine Guard Regiment recently spent two weeks on the international diving exercise “EOD and Deep Dive Workshop 2025”, which was organized by the Bundeswehr for the first time. Germany’s fifth-largest glacial lake, the 127-meter-deep Lake Starnberg provided a varied environment for executing the tasks.
Guardians of the Sky
16:08 August 6, 2025
“You can rarely see them like this – the guardians of the sky are in the air. We are proud of the Hungarian Gripen pilots’ professional performance” – wrote Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky on his social media page. As of early August, the Hungarian Defence Forces are performing air policing duties in seven countries altogether, including the Baltic states and Hungary.
Strengthening Hungarian presence in the Western Balkans
13:03 August 6, 2025
Lieutenant General Ferenc Kajári, Deputy Chief of HDF Defence Staff paid an official visit to Kosovo on 5 August 2025. Within the framework of the program, he held discussions with Commander of KFOR Major General Enrico Barduani, and personally met the Hungarian troops serving in the region.
Hungarian experiences, international friendships
12:54 August 6, 2025
“What I enjoyed the most at the Bálna Defence Centre was shooting, because we tried it out together in my team” – said Andrei Neculoiu from Brasov, Romania on the Budapest sightseeing day of the International CLIMS Camp.
International CLIMS Camp 2025 in Hungary
13:10 August 5, 2025
Between 2 and 16 August, Hungary is hosting the international youth camp of the International Liaison Committee of Social Military Organizations (CLIMS). More than 200 15-17-year-old young people from twelve nations are learning about Hungary’s culture and sights while they are participating in team-building exercises and sports competitions, and develop their English proficiency. The 20th International CLIMS Camp (ICC) was opened by Brigadier General Dr. László Drót, Commander, HDF Territorial Defence and Military Augmentation Command in the Ludovika Arena of the Ludovika University of Public Service, Budapest.