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.
Hungarian general assumes duties as DCOM EUFOR Operation Althea
15:59 March 23, 2026
Brigadier General Bálint Legoza has taken over the lead of EUFOR Operation Althea, the European Union’s peacekeeping operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the next months, two Hungarian generals will be serving concurrently in the leadership of the mission, as Brigadier General Tibor Szabó will be performing his duties as chief of staff until May.
In Alliance: German NATO bases in focus
14:33 March 23, 2026
Major General László Sticz PhD, National Military Representative of Hungary at the NATO Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) recently visited logistic commands and commands responsible for air control tasks.
Hungarian officer attends air defence training in the USA
14:28 March 23, 2026
Lieutenant Milán Kacsmarik, an officer of the HDF 205th Air Defence Regiment recently participated in the Air Defense Artillery Basic Officer Leader Course (ADA BOLC) organized for US Air Defense Artillery (ADA) officers at the Fires Center of Excellence, Fort Sill army training base, Oklahoma, USA. The objective of the almost two-month training was to prepare young officers for their Air and Missile Defense (AMD) Platoon Leader position, while providing them with a comprehensive picture of the core leadership principles and professional tasks of this branch of service.
Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky: combat vehicle maintenance, too, has outstanding significance
12:29 March 23, 2026
On 19 March, a combat vehicle repair workshop with an area of 2500 m2 was inaugurated in the Tata barracks of the HDF 1st Armored Brigade, where the maintenance of Leopard 2A7HU main battle tanks and PzH 2000HU self-propelled howitzers can be performed on altogether 10 vehicle stands.
Hungarian-Polish cooperation continues unabated in 2026 as well
11:41 March 23, 2026
On 19 March, representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Polish Ministry of National Defence signed a plan on bilateral military cooperation in Budapest. Colonel András György, Chief of MoD Department for International Cooperation and Colonel Marek Kozera, Defence, Military and Air Attaché, Republic of Poland authenticated with their signatures the program schedule of the two countries for the year 2026.
NATO General visits the Rock
11:31 March 23, 2026
On 18 March, Lieutenant General Juan Pablo Sanchez de Lara, Commander, NATO’s Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC), Torrejon, Spain paid an official visit to the Hungarian Defence Forces Air Operation Command and Control Centre (HDF AOCCC), Veszprém. The NATO CAOC Torrejon Commander was received by Brigadier General Dr. Tamás Bali, Deputy Commander, HDF Joint Operations Command.
Closing the war requires diplomatic instead of military solution
12:08 March 18, 2026
Hungary is convinced that there is no military solution to the conflict; instead, diplomacy should prevail and the horrible Russo-Ukrainian war taking its heavy toll should be closed with peace – said Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky at a press conference held after his discussion with Czech Defence Minister Jaromír Zuna on 17 March.
Minimi in the Focus
11:37 March 18, 2026
Soldiers of the 3rd Company of the 1st Grenadier Battalion of the HDF 30th Mechanized Infantry Brigade recently participated in an FN MK 3 Minimi light machine gun live fire exercise in Táborfalva. The purpose of the specialist group’s trade training is that soldiers, regardless of their position, learn about the main weapon of the section and its proper use.
Leopard 2A7HU tanks on live fire exercise
11:52 March 12, 2026
The 11th Tank Battalion of the HDF 1st Armored Brigade held a Leopard 2A7HU commissioning live fire exercise (LFX) for tank gunners on the Szomód shooting range on 3 and 4 March. At the same time, besides the commissioning LFX, the soldiers also carried out the test firing of the recently delivered tanks and zeroed in their guns.
The Hungarian Air Force Strengthens – New Gripens Arrive
11:48 March 12, 2026
The four new Gripen fighter aircraft will arrive in Kecskemét by 30 June. We promised strength, we have built strength! With the Hungarian fleet now comprising 18 fighter aircraft, we further strengthen Hungary’s security. To us, Hungary’s defence is the first, wrote Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky on his social media page on 11 March.