From Székesfehérvár to SHAPE – Hungarian subunit at NATO’s digital cutting edge
Text: Captain Milán Gajdos | Photo: SHAPE STRATCOM | 16:00 November 7, 2025The Communications and Information Systems (CIS) of the future were introduced on the Distinguished Visitors (DV) Day of Exercise Steadfast Cobalt 2025 at the at the NATO SHAPE HQ in Belgium, where the soldiers of the Hungarian Defence Forces’ Deployable CIS Module (DCM-E) also had an outstanding role. Their excellent performance at the exercise may serve as an example of how a small but dedicated team can contribute to shaping the digital future of the Alliance.
The Distinguished Visitors’ (DV) Day of Exercise Steadfast Cobalt 2025 was organized at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, where the latest developments in the CIS assets of the Alliance were put on display. The special event was hosted by the SHAPE Cyberspace Community, and several related SHAPE subunits, in cooperation with the NATO CIS Group (NCISG) and the experts of the NATO CIS Agency (NCIA).
On the DV Day of the training event, the live demonstrations and interactive guided tours introduced the participants to the capabilities of NATO’s DCMs, the latest initiatives for the networks ensuring the Vigilance and enhanced Vigilance Activities (VeVA) of the Alliance, as well as other digital transformation initiatives designed to strengthen the effectiveness of NATO’s Command and Control (C2) systems.
Visitors of the event included senior leaders from the NATO Military Committee, SHAPE Headquarters, officials from across the NATO Command and Force Structure (NCS/NFS), along with National Military Representatives and international civil dignitaries. This way, the superiors had opportunity to gain first-hand insight into how NATO’s CIS teams ensure the secure and effective flow of information for mission readiness in a dynamically evolving digital battle space.
Hungary was represented on the DV Day of the exercise by the soldiers of the DCM-E, a 10-strong professional team whose members arrived in Mons from Székesfehérvár. Through their high-level technical preparedness and internationally recognized expertise, the specialists of the DCM-E contributed to the success of the exercise, demonstrating the commitment of the Hungarian Defence Forces to multinational cooperation – said SHAPE National Military Representative Major General László Sticz PhD on the spot. Major General Sticz concluded by praising the DCM-E personnel’s professional performance, saying that “It is important to point out that the systems and equipment operated by Hungarian soldiers on display during the DV Day of the exercise play a key role in the secure and continuous flow of information on deployed NATO operations”.
Major General Rainer Beeck, Commander, NCISG said at the event that what he had seen on the DV Day showed the commitment of the Alliance to the continuous development of innovative technologies. “The systems on display here serve the establishment of a secure information environment, and are of key importance in achieving operational success” – summed up the major general, who reaffirmed that the reliability of CIS assets and close professional cooperation among nations may be one of the guarantees of operational successes in the future.
