“Building Tomorrow Starts Today”

“During my visits, my role is to help partner countries prepare, from a strategic perspective, for the challenges of the future, as we are currently witnessing a significant transformation in the nature of warfare. Alongside artificial intelligence, robotics and space have also come to play a role, so we need to discuss how to implement all this at NATO level,” said Admiral Vandier, highlighting the primary aim of his two-day visit.

This was the SACT’s first visit to Hungary, with the aim of gaining an insight into the current state of capability development within the Hungarian Defence Forces, and to learn about the country’s approach to the modernisation of the armed forces and the application of innovative approaches.

He also pointed out that, at the 2025 Hague Summit, the Allies made a historic commitment to spend 5 percent of their GDP on defence by 2035.

“The future lies in the coordination of different forces: in combining conventional military platforms with drones, autonomous systems and digital technologies to achieve greater operational impact. This combination provides our armed forces with greater strength, flexibility, adaptability and resilience,” added the SACT.

At the end of his speech, he highlighted: “Our task is clear: we must turn increased defence investment into actual military capabilities before the battlefield environment changes once again. My visit has reinforced my conviction that we share this approach and ambition with Hungary. This will enable us to maintain our operational superiority and further strengthen our deterrence and defence capabilities.”

“The development of the Hungarian Defence Forces is primarily aimed at ensuring that we are able to guarantee the security of the Hungarian people and Hungary under all circumstances. Naturally, we must carry out these developments in a way that also meets NATO’s expectations, because as a reliable ally, we must take into account the requirements set by the Alliance as well,” noted General Zsolt Sándor, Chief of HDF Defence Staff.

“It is crucial that we maintain contact with our international partners – both military stakeholders and market participants. We can learn from each other’s mistakes and successes, so we must pay attention to the direction in which others are conducting research and implementing developments within their armed forces, as well as which systems, methods and procedures are working well. Of course, we must integrate these into our domestic system while bearing in mind the specific characteristics of the HDF and our country,” emphasised General Zsolt Sándor, speaking about the benefits offered by the Alliance.

“We greatly appreciate this visit and the opportunity it provides to further strengthen our cooperation with NATO’s Allied Command Transformation and to advance the achievement of our shared objectives within the framework of NATO. Our discussions on the transformation of the armed forces, defence innovation and practical implementation were constructive and extremely fruitful,” said the Chief of Defence.

During the professional consultations, discussions focused on capability development, the analysis of lessons learned from current armed conflicts, and the importance of interoperability. Particular attention was paid to bringing innovation in line with military requirements, and the human dimension of force development: the development of leadership skills and professional competencies, and ensuring the readiness of personnel.

“By building on our shared priorities and combining our expertise, we further strengthen Hungary’s defence capabilities, thereby contributing to the creation of a stronger, more resilient NATO that is better able to adapt to the changing security environment,” said General Zsolt Sándor, summarising the significance of the visit.