Major General Zoltán Somogyi
15:53 July 18, 2023Major 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.
New year, new tasks – in Belgium, too
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Hungary’s National Military Representative Major General László Sticz PhD recently informed the soldiers on foreign service in Mons about events with Hungarian relevance in the new year.
Designated target practices
11:44 February 9, 2026
Designated soldiers from the Hungarian company of the multinational NATO Forward Land Force Battle Group (FLF BG) – which is led by and was established in Hungary – recently developed their marksmanship skills and increased their preparedness through technical target practices at the base of the 2nd Grenadier Battalion, HDF 30th Mechanized Infantry Brigade.
Dutch–Hungarian Bilateral Discussion on the Development of Reserve Forces
11:40 February 9, 2026
To restart the Dutch–Hungarian defence policy dialogue, the HDF Territorial Defence and Military Augmentation Command held a discussion on the possible new fields of bilateral cooperation in the Volunteer Reserve System, recruitment and patriotic and national defence education within the framework of a bilateral meeting in Budapest from 2 to 4 February.
The quantity is continuously rising
11:31 February 5, 2026
Throughout January, Lynx infantry fighting vehicles arrived in large quantities in the barracks of the HDF 30th Mechanized Infantry Brigade. The pieces of equipment delivered within the framework of the National Defence and Military Development Program contribute to increasing Hungary’s defence capability.
We Promised Force, We Built Force
11:27 February 5, 2026
“We promised it, we did it. Hungary procured and entered into service 44 Leopard 2A7 main battle tanks. This is among the most modern combat vehicles in the world. We promised force, we built force, because this is needed for the security of the Hungarian people”, said Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky in the video posted on his social media page on 2 February.
Joint NATO Logistics – After the Hungarian, with Lithuanian Leadership
14:25 February 3, 2026
After a year, the Hungarian Defence Forces handed over the lead nation role of the NATO Movement Control Multinational Integrated Logistic Unit (MovCon MILU) to the experts of the Lithuanian Armed Forces at the Budapest premises of the HDF Logistic Support Command in late January.
Europe must take greater responsibility for its own defence – Ramstein 2026
12:16 February 3, 2026
At their recent meeting in Ramstein, Germany, military leaders and experts of NATO member states assessed the current challenges of the European and Euro-Atlantic security environment as well as the joint strategic responses to be given to them.
Airborne Elite
14:55 January 30, 2026
Above the Bakony Hill, roaring engine noise broke the silence on Tuesday, 27 January. The airborne company of the HDF Special Operations Command carried out parachute jumps from one of the most state-of-the-art aircraft of the Hungarian Defence Forces, an Embraer KC-390 Millennium.
National Military Representatives on NATO’s flagship course
11:57 January 30, 2026
The Senior Officer Policy Course (SOPC) was organized at the NATO School Oberammergau in late January 2026. The biannual course is for soldiers and government officials of NATO member states in decision-making position.
Hungary Also Participates in the Civil-Military Coordination Center’s Work
13:56 January 28, 2026
Hungary also participates in the work of the international Civil-Military Coordination Center’s (CMCC) work, established to support the disarmament and peace process in Gaza, Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky announced on his Facebook page on Tuesday, 27 January.