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.
![202407_Szolnok_ejtőernyős_vb (5)](https://defence.hu/media/cache/width_465/images/media/6683e60a488eb398861723.jpg)
In the air from tomorrow
13:35 July 2, 2024
The July 3 opening ceremony in Szolnok will mark the beginning of the 46th CISM World Military Parachuting Championship this week.
![202407_Belgrád_magyar-szerb_védelempolitikai_igazgatói_találkozó_HM (nyitó)](https://defence.hu/media/cache/width_465/images/media/6683d4f229d1f328399851.jpg)
Exemplary military and defence cooperation
12:21 July 2, 2024
On 21 June, MoD Deputy State Secretary for Defence Policy László Hajnik paid a visit to Belgrade. During his official trip, the deputy state secretary held a discussion with Serbian Defence Policy Director Predrag Bandic, at which the two sides reviewed in detail the security situation of the Western Balkans region as well as the main aspects and issues of the bilateral military and defence cooperation.
![202406_eje_válogatott_felkészülés](https://defence.hu/media/cache/width_465/images/media/667d134c70047118367469.jpg)
Civilian Audience is Also Expected at the World Military Parachuting Championship
10:57 July 2, 2024
The 46th CISM World Military Parachuting Championship will begin on Wednesday, 3 July in Szolnok, where interested civilian audience is also expected, said the chief of staff of the HDF 86th Helicopter Wing in the Monday TV program of channel M1.
![20240524_ejtőernyőzés_montázs](https://defence.hu/media/cache/width_465/images/media/6683b4cf101d4775439389.jpg)
World military parachuting championship to be organized in Szolnok
10:03 July 2, 2024
After 2018, Hungary will host again the 46th CISM World Military Parachuting Championship – announced Colonel Dr. Tamás Bali, Commander, HDF 86th Helicopter Wing at a press conference held on the Szolnok-Szandaszőlős Sports Airfield on Friday, 24 May.
![202407_KC-390_magyar_katonai_típusalkalmassági_bizonyítvány (nyitó)](https://defence.hu/media/cache/width_465/images/media/6682d80ac6984720328526.jpg)
Hungarian military type certificate to the brazilian KC-390 aircraft type
18:23 July 1, 2024
After more than two years of strenuous professional work, the type-worthiness inspection of the KC-390 military multi-purpose transport aircraft manufactured by the Brazilian company Embraer S.A., which will be system tuned by the Hungarian Defence Forces this year, has been successfully completed. The procedure was carried out by the State Aviation Department of the Ministry of Defence, as the military aviation authority responsible for the supervision of Hungarian state aviation, in accordance with the legal requirements for Hungarian state aviation.
![20240628_honvedelmi_miniszter_azeri_vedelmi_miniszter_nyitó](https://defence.hu/media/cache/width_465/images/media/66829acd7787c482309884.jpg)
Azerbaijan is Our Appreciated Strategic Partner
13:53 July 1, 2024
Azerbaijan is our appreciated partner in the defence and military fields, as well as in the defence industry; and we will continue to develop this partnership, said Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky following his discussion with the defence minister of Azerbaijan, General Zakir Hasanov in Budapest on Friday, 28 June.
![202406_KFOR_fire_phobia_VK (nyitó)](https://defence.hu/media/cache/width_465/images/media/667fc82bc7368866639244.jpg)
Fire phobia
10:38 June 29, 2024
Today a fire phobia training conducted by the KTRBN (KFOR Tactical Reserve Battalion) at Camp Novo Selo for the 2nd maneuver company. Such trainings aim to maintain the high standards of reactivity and operational readiness required from all KFOR units. These efforts are part of KFOR’s daily mission to quarantee a safe and secure environment for all people living in Kosovo.
![202406_HM_miniszter_amerikai nagykövet_nyitó](https://defence.hu/media/cache/width_465/images/media/667d3589215e6762256881.jpg)
Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky Negotiates with the US Ambassador to Budapest
11:48 June 27, 2024
During my negotiation with the US Ambassador to Budapest, we also covered Europe’s security situation and the war risks, wrote Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky on his social media page on Wednesday, 26 June.
![202406_eje_válogatott_felkészülés](https://defence.hu/media/cache/width_465/images/media/667d134c70047118367469.jpg)
Ready to jump
09:22 June 27, 2024
The national parachute team of the Hungarian Defence Forces is training in full swing for the 46th CISM World Military Parachuting Championship. Organized with the participation of national teams from 33 countries, the prestigious sporting competition will take place in Szolnok, Hungary between 3 and 12 July.
![Platinum Wolf gyakorlat (nyitó)](https://defence.hu/media/cache/width_465/images/media/667bd76a21a38036140662.jpg)
Territorial defence reservists on an international exercise
10:54 June 26, 2024
Reservists of the Hungarian Defence Forces 4th Territorial Defence Regiment recently demonstrated their preparedness during the international Exercise Platinum Wolf 2024 in Serbia.