EU Recognition to the Hungarian Defence Forces

The Officer Scheduling the Exercise gave thanks in his letter for making Pápa Airbase and Bakony Training Area available to the EU Rapid Response Force, which, according to him, greatly enhanced the Crisis Management Operation and their ability to achieve the training aims.

Lieutenant General van der Laan especially underlined the Hungarian soldiers’ professionalism, engagement and active participation, with which they contributed to the success of the exercise in both the planning and the execution phases.

Their interactions with the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC) as the Operations Headquarters “allowed for the establishment of an appropriate framework to facilitate the deployment of forces” and the joint task execution with all participating troops. “Through the combination of mutual cooperation and excellent communication, we were able to achieve an excellent outcome and display the capacities of the Hungarian Defence Forces and the capabilities of the EU Rapid Response Force”, he wrote.

Exercise MILEX 2025 was held in Hungary from 25 March to 10 April. The goal of the international event, involving more than 850 soldiers, was to test the land operation capabilities of the European Union’s battlegroups in real-life circumstances. The exercise was attended by soldiers from 13 nations, including Hungarians, Germans, French, Polish, Spanish, Irish, Croatians and Austrians. Operations were carried out at the HDF 47th Airbase (Pápa) and the Bakony Training Area, where they practised joint action and rapid response to crisis situations during live firing and tactical manoeuvres.