A new level in strategic partnership

General Böröndi started his visit to the USA in the Pentagon, where he conducted a discussion with Chief of National Guard Bureau General Steven S. Nordhaus, who, in this position, is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In praising the Ohio National Guard, General Nordhaus reminded his audience that its Air National Guard unit (OH ANG) is the second strongest force among the aerial militias of national guards, and it also has a significant Army National Guard component. The American general spoke highly of the Ohio National Guard’s system of partnerships with the three partner countries. He pointed out that the oldest, and so the longest-standing and deepest partnership is the one established with Hungary, the Hungarian Defence Forces, and he assured the further cooperation of his full support.

The Chief of the HDF Defence Staff travelled from Washington to the city of Columbus, where senior leaders of the Ohio National Guard discussed the current global security situation, reviewed and assessed last year’s results, talked about future objectives and tasks and exchanged the lessons learned. High on the agenda were strategic leadership and capability development, initiatives aimed at maintaining and strengthening the level of preparedness and training, as well as the deepening of professional relations in international partnerships.

Besides Hungary, the other two partners of the ONG, the armed forces of Serbia and Angola were also represented at the event. The partnership between the Hungarian Defence Forces and the Ohio National Guard has already been going on for more than 30 years.

“The infantry-based reserve training is traditionally working well, being implemented together with another partner country, Serbia through the exercise series Neighbors and Platinum Wolf” – said General Dr. Gábor Böröndi after the conference. He emphasized that “The world and the security situation, however, are changing, and the military challenges are also changing with them. In light of this, we had earlier begun to organize cooperation with the Air Defense Artillery Brigade (ADAB) of the Ohio National Guard.”

Like the Air Defence Regiment of Győr, the ADAB of the Ohio National Guard is also equipped with the NASAMS air defence system. During this visit, the Hungarian and the American sides agreed to continue with joint preparation and training, thereby also deepening their professional relationship. Besides, some new capabilities and possibilities also emerged, such as joint preparation training and the exchange of lessons learned in the fields of cyber operations and drone warfare, and the responses to be given to it.

The Hungarian Chief of Defence highlighted that “From the Hungarian Defence Forces’ point of view, the Ohio National Guard is a designated partner, as the two armed organizations have developed a professional and confidential relationship based on personal human contacts over the last 30 years, as a result of which the Hungarian Defence Forces have leaped forward in the fields of preparation, training and combat readiness”.

The Chief of the HDF Defence Staff closed his trip by visiting the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence (NAAMCE) in Springfield, near Columbus, which specializes in the study and development of air mobility and unmanned aerial systems. The institution was established with the involvement of the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and NASA as well as universities, research institutes and private companies. The environment provided by the center helps the research, design and testing of new aerial vehicles at the highest level, meeting all requirements of the age.