Lieutenant General Zoltán Schmidt
11:22 January 2, 2023Personal details
Date of birth: 30th June 1969
Place of birth: Paks, Hungary
Marital status: married, a father of one child
Education
2015 Defence Management Course (National University of Public Service, Budapest)
2011 General Staff Course (Miklós Zrínyi National Defence University)
2008 NATO Logistics Operational Planning Course (Oberammergau)
2006 NATO Defence Forces Course (Oberammergau)
2006 NATO Staff Officer Course (Oberammergau)
2004 NATO Logistics Course (Aachen)
2002 TÜV Rheinland Academy (Budapest), Quality Management System Referent
2002 Miklós Zrínyi National Defence University, military technology manager
1990 Máté Zalka Military Technical College, combat vehicle maintainer, combat vehicle technology specialization
Military career
2023 Deputy Chief of Defence for Management
2022 Head of office (deputy commander for management), Hungarian Defence Forces Command
2019–2022 Inspector General (logistics), Hungarian Defence Forces Command
2018 Acting Chief of Staff, HDF Joint Force Command
2017–2018 Deputy Chief of Staff Support, HDF Joint Force Command
2014–2017 Chief of Logistic Forces (deputy commander), HDF Joint Force Command
2013–2014 Acting Chief of Logistic Forces (deputy commander), HDF Joint Force Command
2010–2013 Chief of Logistics Operations Directorate, HDF Joint Force Command
2007–2010 Senior officer (deputy chief), Logistic Directorate, HDF Joint Force Command
2006 Senior officer, Force planning division, MoD Force Planning Department
2005–2006 Senior officer, Force planning division, Military Planning Directorate, General Staff
2003–2005 Senior officer for coordination, Logistic Planning Directorate, HDF Joint Logistic and Support Command
2001–2003 Senior officer for planning, Logistic Directorate, General Staff
1999–2001 Service chief for armored and motor vehicle technology, Logistic Directorate
1997–1999 Logistics chief (deputy commander for logistics), 1st Tank Battalion
1997 Company commander, logistic company, 1st Tank Battalion
1993–1997 Company commander, repair company, Logistic Battalion
1990–1993 Deputy company commander for armaments technology, 1st Tank Company, 1st Tank Battalion
1987 Student (Miklós Zrínyi National Defence University)
Decorations
Officer Service Medal, 3rd Class
Service Medal of Merit, Silver Grade
Service Medal of Merit, Gold Grade
Officer Service Medal, 2nd Class
Service Medal for Flood Protection
Service Medal of Merit Decorated with Laurel Wreath
Service Medal for Migration Crisis Management
Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary, Military Section
Language skills
English STANAG 3.3.3.3
Memberships
Hungarian Military Logistics Association, member
Hungarian Logistics Association, member of presidential board
New Momentum in Hungarian-German Military Cooperation
12:43 September 11, 2026
General Zsolt Sándor, Chief of HDF Defence Staff, discussed the further strengthening of Hungarian–German military cooperation, experiences in force development, and the expansion of training and personnel relations with his German counterpart, General Carsten Breuer on 7 September in Budapest. The following day, the German military commander visited the HDF 25th Armored Brigade to familiarize himself with the unit’s capabilities, and to inspect the German military equipment introduced as part of force development and the associated training opportunities.
KC-390 Millennium – First Time at a Foreign Airshow
13:35 September 9, 2026
The KC-390 Millennium transport aircraft of the Hungarian Defence Forces has reached another important milestone: it debuted abroad for the first time at an international airshow abroad.
Strong National Force, Secure Alliance
13:30 September 9, 2026
“The primary duty of the Hungarian Defence Forces is to guarantee the security of Hungary and the Hungarian people”, said General Zsolt Sándor in his presentation to military and defence attachés accredited to Hungary. The Chief of HDF Defence Staff briefed foreign attachés at the Ministry of Defence on September 7 on the current status of the HDF’s transformation, the priorities for force development, and the modernisation of training.
Quick Response in Bosnia and Herzegovina
18:16 September 8, 2026
Hungarian peacekeepers took part in spectacular tasks at EUFOR’s largest training event. During Exercise Quick Response 2026, conducted at numerous locations in Bosnia and Herzegovina between August 22 and September 3, the peacekeeping mission of the European Union practiced how to rapidly reinforce its in-theatre forces and respond in a coordinated manner to a rapidly changing security situation.
Japanese Delegation at Ministry of Defence
12:46 September 8, 2026
Defence Minister Dr Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi received a Japanese delegation at the Ministry of Defence on 7 September.
EUFOR Althea: Reinforced Hungarian Participation
13:57 September 7, 2026
The Hungarian government reinforces the country’s participation in the European Union’s EUFOR Althea peacekeeping operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, government spokesperson Anita Köböl announced in Budapest. It was stated at the government press conference that the authorised strength of the reserve forces kept on standby in Hungary will rise from 150 to a maximum of 300 personnel, and that they may be deployed to the area of operations for up to 380 days instead of the previous 90 days, if necessary.
Joint Challenges, Joint Solutions
13:52 September 7, 2026
Central European armed forces face similar challenges when it comes to reaching out to young people, recruitment and personnel retention, which is why it is important to learn about each other’s best practices and examine which of these can be applied in the Hungarian context as well – emphasized General Zsolt Sándor, Chief of the HDF Defence Staff, following the Central European Defence Cooperation (CEDC) Chiefs of Defence meeting held in Slovenia.
There is only one language under the water
12:35 September 7, 2026
Deep-water diving equipment, orientation tasks, mental math, day and night dives await Hungarian, Czech and Slovak military divers during the one-week Exercise Open Water organized at the Nyéki Lakes in Hungary. In the middle of the week, the participants put their professional knowledge to the test by making decompression dives in Debreczeni Lake.
A Torrent of Soldiers’ Medals in Poland
13:00 September 2, 2026
The military athletes of the HDF Sports Company return home from the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Poznań with a splendid haul of medals. They won three gold and five silver medals in the individual events, one bronze medal in the pairs, and, as members of the fours, one gold and one silver.
American Master’s Completed
12:56 September 2, 2026
Major Domonkos Balázs Pászthory, a soldier from the 1st Grenadier Battalion of the HDF 30th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, has completed his military postgraduate studies at Texas A&M University and has recently returned home from his posting lasting nearly two years.