Major General Zoltán Somogyi
15:53 July 18, 2023Brigadier General Zoltán Somogyi was born on 27th February 1974 in Fehérgyarmat. He began his military service in August 1992 at the Military Command Collage in Szentendre. He graduated as an artillery officer with a BSc in Land Surveying Engineering in 1996. He served 8 years in a various artillery officer assignments including 4 years as Battery Commander within the HDF 5th Mechanized Infantry Brigade 5th Self Propelled Artillery Battalion in Debrecen. During his artillery officer carrier, he successfully completed the Battery Commander Course of the German Bundeswehr and gathered experiences also in the field of rocket artillery. In 2003 he was deployed to the position of the 2nd Company Commander of the Hungarian Guard and Security Battalion, KFOR Kosovo and in 2004 he assumed command of the Hungarian Guard and Security Contingent, KFOR Skopje.
In 2007, he was appointed to the position of Hungarian Joint Force Command J3 Staff Officer in Székesfehérvár and he was promoted to Major. In 2009, he was assigned as a Liaison Officer to the German Operations Command in Potsdam and to the German MOD Planning Staff in Berlin focused on Hungarian contribution to ISAF operation. In 2010, he graduated from the National Defense University with MSc degree in Military Leadership. In 2012 he graduated the 7th German National Joint Admiral and General Staff Course at the Bundeswehr Command & Staff Collage in Hamburg. Following that, he was appointed to the position of the Military Assistant to the Chief of Land Forces of the Hungarian Joint Force Command and he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. From 2013 to 2016, he served as the Head of Combat Support Branch G3 HDF JFC.
During this assignment in 2013-2014 he was deployed for seven months to Afghanistan as a senior advisor and head of a brigade level advisory team. In 2016, he was assigned to the position of Chief G37 HDF Joint Force Command. In 2017, his next appointment was at HDF JFC where he held the post of Chief J3/ACOS Operations and was promoted to the rank of Colonel.
From August 2018 he started and led the planning project of Headquarters Multinational Division Centre. He was appointed to Chief of Staff of the Headquarters Multinational Division Centre on 01 June 2020 and he was promoted to his current rank on the 20th of August 2020.
12 May 2022 – 17 May 2023 he served as Chief of Staff of EUFOR Force HQ in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Since 15 July 2023 he has been assuming the position Director of the General Staff Hungarian Defence Forces.
He is married to his wife Beatrix and lives in Várpalota.
Dutch Defence Policy Director in Hungary
12:54 June 19, 2025
Lars Walrave, Dutch defence policy director visited Hungary at the invitation of MoD Deputy State Secretary for Defence Policy László Hajnik from 16 to 17 June. In the focus of the discussions were the development of the two countries’ defence relations, the armed forces development, the possibilities for defence industrial cooperation, closer cooperation within NATO, the European defence readiness, the security situation of the Western Balkans and the Sahel and sharing the lessons learned in connection with recruitment and the formation and operation of the reservist system.
Estonia Joined the Multinational Logistics Coordination Centre in Hungary
15:30 June 17, 2025
After nine years, the Multinational Logistics Coordination Centre (MLCC), which organisation plays an important role in the logistics cooperation and training of NATO and the EU, again held a meeting in Hungary.
Lynx Fighting Vehicles in Focus
14:10 June 17, 2025
It has been nearly three years since the first Lynx infantry fighting vehicles arrived in Hungary. Lieutenant General Andreas Marlow heard about the lessons learned; he visited Hódmezővásárhely in person to learn about the state-of-the-art technology vehicles closely.
NATO Cooperation is Important in the Changed Security Environment
10:50 June 17, 2025
In the changed security environment, cooperation with NATO and the allied nations is important for the Hungarian Defence Forces, emphasised General Dr. Gábor Böröndi, Chief of HDF Defence Staff, at the Zero Point Shooting Range and Training Area on the visitors’ day of the international exercise Saber Guardian 2025, Monday. Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky also watched the exercise.
Apache Helicopters in the Crosshairs
09:22 June 17, 2025
The American AH-64 Apache helicopters that carried out their combat tasks with live ammunition at the multinational exercise Saber Guardian 2025 at the Zero Point Shooting Range and Training Area were constantly in the crosshairs of cameras.
Special Operations, Joint Training
15:08 June 16, 2025
Hungary and North Macedonia are open to further deepening military-to-military relations and strengthening cooperation between their armed forces, which contributes to the security and stability of the region. Keeping NATO interoperability in mind, they mutually support and help each other and open up the possibilities of joint training, declared the Chief of HDF Defence Staff following the discussions with his North Macedonian counterpart in Ohrid. General Dr. Gábor Böröndi made a two-day official visit to North Macedonia at the invitation of Major General Sashko Lafchiski.
Dynamically Developing American-Hungarian Defence Relations
13:33 June 16, 2025
Following the successful, recent visit to Budapest by David Baker, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Policy, the Ministry of Defence can report on another successful American visit.
Hungarians and Hungarian Heroes in Cleveland
13:57 June 12, 2025
On the last Sunday of May, Hungarian heroes, those who gave their lives for their homeland and freedom during Hungarian and American history, were also commemorated in the city of Cleveland, United States.
Pleasure – Opportunity
15:49 June 11, 2025
It is the first time that a Hungarian NCO has become the Command Senior Enlisted Leader (CSEL) of the NATO Allied Command Operations (ACO). It was officially announced at the 21st International Command Senior Enlisted Leader Conference in Lisbon – held with the participation of 35 NATO member and partner states – that CSM Zoltán Kaszab, Command Sergeant Major of the Hungarian Defence Forces, will receive this position.
NATO Defense College Visits Budapest
09:31 June 11, 2025
Headed by NDC Commandant Lieutenant General Max A.L.T. Nielsen, the Senior Course of the primary strategic-level educational facility of the NATO Defense College (NDC) visited Budapest to learn about Hungary’s foreign, security and defence policy priorities, as well as the directions of armed forces development. The delegation was received by Lieutenant General Ferenc Kajári, Deputy Chief of HDF Defence Staff.