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
Language is an Invisible Bridge Between Nations
15:45 November 18, 2025
The three-day conference “Challenges and Trends in Shaping Future (Military) Language Education” puts the future of professional language training and the challenges of military interoperability at the centre. The conference was opened at the Ludovika University of Public Service on 17 November. The event has been organised by the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign Language and Terminology Centre of the Faculty of Military Sciences and Officer Training and is being attended by professionals from half a dozen countries.
Strengthening international cooperation
13:39 November 18, 2025
Major General Erdenebat Batsuuri, Force Commander, United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) recently visited the HDF Military Training Centre (HDF MTC) as part of his official program in Hungary. The aim of the visit was to learn about the system of Hungarian military further training as well as about pre-deployment training for peace operations and international training programs.
Budapest Hosts Initial Planning Conference of NATO’s Next Crisis Management Exercise
14:24 November 14, 2025
Alliance cooperation is of outstanding importance in tackling security challenges of the Euro-Atlantic region. Top-level exercises play a significant role in improving crisis decision-making, declared MoD Parliamentary State Secretary and Deputy Defence Minister Tamás Vargha in his opening speech at the conference.
Gripens “intercept” Hungarian media aircraft
13:12 November 14, 2025
An Airbus A319 transport aircraft of the Hungarian Defence Forces was flying home from a visit to the NATO Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mission, Šiauliai Air Base, Lithuania with editors, photographers, cameramen and spotters on board, when it “got intercepted” by Gripen fighter jets in the airspace of the Baltic state. This was to the passengers’ great delight, as this way, representatives of Hungarian media were able to photograph and film, close-up, the moments of interception carried out during a Tango (practice) scramble. As of 1 August, together with the Spanish and Italian air forces, Hungary’s JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets have been performing air policing tasks for four months in the airspace of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia.
International cooperation in the field
12:23 November 14, 2025
The combined reserve Exercise Moonstar 2025 is currently being conducted with the participation of close to 150 Hungarian, Polish and Slovak reservists at Vay Ádám Training Base in Hajdúhadház. The objective is to achieve that members of the training audience can act in a coordinated way, while developing their tactical skills and ability of cooperation and familiarizing themselves with each other’s procedures.
NATO FLF BG HUN declared Combat Ready again
11:36 November 14, 2025
The Hungary-based, Hungarian-led multinational NATO Forward Land Forces Battle Group (NATO FLF BG HUN) has passed the NATO CREVAL (Combat Readiness Evaluation of Land Headquarters and Units) inspection. During the tactical Exercise Brave Warrior 2025-II, our soldiers showed their professional knowledge and skills in cooperation with Croatian and Italian forces.
German-Hungarian Military Cooperation is Being Strengthened
13:40 November 13, 2025
The professional delegation of the Bundeswehr Joint Support Command discussed the details of renewing the document that regulates the German-Hungarian joint support cooperation at the beginning of the week. The topics were mostly justified by the organizational changes.
HDF NCO Academy in International Focus
13:06 November 13, 2025
On 21 October, within the framework of a visit organized by the MoD Department for International Cooperation, the commander of the Hungarian Defence Forces Non-Commissioned Officer (HDF NCO) Academy received the members of the Budapest Military Attaché Corps (BMAC) in Szentendre. “To us, it is very important that we had a chance to introduce foreign defence attachés accredited in Hungary to the current training programs of the HDF NCO Academy, its achieved results and the current directions of development” – said Colonel Imre Frankó.
The Stability of the Middle East Also Serves the Security of Hungary
16:13 November 12, 2025
Hungary is committed to the peace and stability of the Middle East; it actively contributes to enhancing regional peace and security within the UN mission in Lebanon, declared Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, who, during his official trip to Lebanon, visited the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the Hungarian soldiers serving there.
Exercise planning, courses, joint SOF training
12:28 November 12, 2025
During his two-day official visit to Georgia, General Dr. Gábor Böröndi, Chief of HDF Defence Staff held discussions on cooperation in the field of education and multinational training programs, as well as on the lessons learned about NATO integration.