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.
Katalin Novák thanks Hungarian rescue teams helping in Türkiye for their work
16:14 February 10, 2023
On 10 February, President of Hungary Katalin Novák, Commander-in-Chief, Hungarian Defence Forces published a post on her social media page in connection with the Turkish–Syrian earthquake, highlighting the merits of Hungarian rescue teams.
Hungarian Chief of Defence visits the United States of America
11:29 February 10, 2023
Lieutenant General Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi PhD, Chief of the HDF General Staff recently traveled to the United States for a dayslong official visit, and on this occasion, he paid calls, among others, on the Ohio National Guard and the Permanent Mission of Hungary at the United Nations.
Earthquake: rescue operations ongoing
14:02 February 9, 2023
Rescue operations are continuously going on with the contribution of the Hungarian Defence Forces in earthquake-stricken areas of Türkiye and Syria. According to latest reports, the Hungarian rescue teams have already been able to save the lives of close to 30 people. Below are exclusive pictures taken by László Kertész, our photographer on the spot.
Military doctors are also helping in Türkiye
13:58 February 9, 2023
So far 16 people owe their lives to the Hungarian rescue teams, and the Hungarian contingent participating in the rescue operation in Türkiye is soon to be expanded, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó wrote on Wednesday, 8 February.
Hunor Hungarian Rescue Team Helps in Türkiye
11:11 February 7, 2023
On Monday, the Hunor Hungarian Rescue Team left Budapest for Türkiye, to help those affected by the earthquake.
Meeting of EU Defence Policy Directors in Stockholm
10:49 February 6, 2023
The Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union organized an informal meeting of defence policy directors on 31 January – 1 February in Stockholm. Hungary was represented at the event by Deputy State Secretary for Defence Policy László Hajnik.
A strong bastion is being built
10:40 February 6, 2023
The planning team of the Hungarian Defence Forces has supported preparations for the summer validation exercise of the Székesfehérvár-based Headquarters Multinational Division Centre (HQ MND-C) over the last few weeks.
Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky: It is important to have sincere and open dialogue with our neighbors
16:28 February 3, 2023
“It is important that neighboring countries engage in close, direct, sincere and open dialogue with each other beyond the international organizations as well” – stated the Minister of Defence after holding a discussion with his Slovenian counterpart in Budapest on Friday, 3 February.
Viktor Orbán: defence industry developments must be continued
10:31 February 3, 2023
On Thursday, 2 February Prime Minister Viktor Orbán received Armin Papperger, the CEO of the German Rheinmetall AG defence and automotive technology group in the Carmelite Monastery, Budapest, Bertalan Havasi, the Prime Minister’s Press Chief told to Hungarian News Agency MTI.
Sniper cross-training in Kosovo
13:17 January 31, 2023
Two sniper squads of the KFOR-27 HUNCON participated in a joint cross-training event with the American forces of Regional Command East (RC-E) Bravo Company.