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
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.
We are working on the defence of Hungary preparedly, pursuing a pre-set strategy
15:25 October 2, 2025
We are working on the defence of Hungary preparedly and reasonably, pursuing a pre-set strategy to guarantee the security of Hungarian people – said Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky at the Martfű–Vezseny crossing of River Tisza on 2 October, the Distinguished Visitors’ Day (DVD) of country defence Exercise Adaptive Hussars 2025.
The 33rd rotation of the HDF KFOR Contingent Achieves Full Mission Capability
12:11 September 30, 2025
On the first of September 2025, the 33rd rotation of the Hungarian Defence Forces KFOR contingent arrived in the area of operations. Following their arrival, the troops participated in several theatre-level training activities. On 12 and 24 September, they successfully completed the Full Mission Capability (FMC) examination. The results confirmed that the soldiers are fully prepared to carry out their mission tasks and respond swiftly and effectively to unexpected situations.
Quick Response 2025: important engagement in the Balkans
16:02 September 29, 2025
Strength in unity: this is what Quick Response 2025, the largest exercise of EUFOR Operation Althea was about this year. On the Distinguished Visitors’ Day (DVD) closing the exercise, a dynamic display was organized in Camp Butmir, Sarajevo for the superiors of the 25 participating nations – among them, Lieutenant General Zoltán Mihócza – to convince them of the preparedness of the forces of the mission.