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

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Hungary becomes self-sufficient in 30mm ammunition
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The munitions factory complex in Várpalota, which is to be expanded with further elements in the next few months, is a crown jewel of Hungarian arms industry, thanks to which Hungary becomes self-sufficient in 30mm ammo – this was what Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said at the opening ceremony of the medium-calibre munitions factory of the Várpalota Defence Industrial Complex on Monday, 29 July.

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We have reached a new and important chapter in the history of the KFOR Tactical Reserve Battalion (KTRBN): starting from this September – after 2017 again –, the KTRBN will be placed on a multinational basis, being augmented with a Romanian maneuver company.

The energy of cheering gets transferred
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“May the Hungarians be successful!” – this was what Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, who is staying at the Paris Olympics, was talking about in the Sunday evening news program of the Hungarian TV channel “M1 aktuális”.

Hungarian soldiers have assisted with preparations for the Olympics
10:52 July 29, 2024
Within the framework of international cooperation with 12 other countries, the soldiers and dogs of the Hungarian Defence Forces 1st EOD and Riverine Guard Regiment have assisted with the security preparations for the Olympics in support of the French forces – wrote Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky on his social media page.

Faster, Higher, Stronger
11:39 July 26, 2024
After 100 years, in the coming weeks Paris will be hosting again the most prestigious sports event, the Olympic Games. Hungary is represented by, among others, 23 military athletes, and their goal is naturally related to the motto of the Games: faster, higher, stronger – which means that they may even improve on the results achieved at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo.

Serbian–Hungarian exchange of lessons learned
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A delegation of the Belgrade-based Guard of the Serbian Armed Forces has recently paid its first visit to the Hungarian Defence Forces vitéz Sándor Szurmay Budapest Garrison Brigade. The members of the delegation gained an insight primarily into the brigade’s diversified system of tasks, first and foremost into the everyday life of the 32nd Bodyguard Regiment.

French–Hungarian Cooperation
12:49 July 25, 2024
MoD Deputy State Secretary for Defence Policy László Hajnik (Hungarian Defence Policy Director) received Alexandre Escorcia, Head of the Department for Europe, North America and Multilateral Action at the Directorate General for International Relations and Strategy (DGRIS) at the Ministry of the Armed Forces of France (French Assistant Defence Policy Director) in Budapest on 15 July.

First Hungarian-made Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicle rolls of the line in Zalaegerszeg
12:40 July 25, 2024
The first Hungarian-made Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicle of the Hungarian Defence Forces has rolled off the assembly line – this was what Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky announced during an event held at the Rheinmetall factory in Zalaegerszeg on Wednesday, 24 July.

Hungarian military doctor is the face of EUFOR
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In the first days of July, EUFOR Operation Althea launched its latest media campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina aimed at informing the citizens of the Balkan country about the peacekeeping mission, and also at bringing its service personnel closer to the local population. The face of the campaign is Lieutenant (MD) Dr. Anna Tóth, a doctor of the EUFOR Aviation Detachment.