German armored troops at Tata

Text: Vivien Takács | Photo: Kinga Szováthy | 11:21 May 30, 2023

As part of the German–Hungarian land forces cooperation, Brigadier General Björn F. Schulz, Commander, Bundeswehr Panzertruppenschule (Armored Troops School) recently arrived in Hungary and paid a visit to the HDF 1st Armored Brigade in Tata on 24 May.

Year after year since the start of the cooperation in 2019, the current commander of the German Bundeswehr Panzertruppenschule has visited the Tata brigade. This year, Brigadier General Björn F. Schulz and the German delegation were received by Colonel István Kása, Chief of Staff, HDF 1st Armored Brigade and by Lieutenant Colonel Sándor Horváth, commander, HDF 11th Tank Battalion, a unit subordinated to the brigade.

The visit started with a short discussion, during which the German guests were informed about the National Defence and Armed Forces Development Program as well as the ongoing infrastructural development projects of the brigade. In what followed, the members of the delegation were shown the repair hangar of the Leopard 2A4 HU main battle tanks and various hangars of the tank battalion, where they had opportunity to mount a T-72 tank as well. Finally, they were introduced to the BT-46 simulator system, by means of which the soldiers can be trained in the use of the Leopard 2A4 HU tanks.

In the second half of the day, the soldiers from the German Panzertruppenschule went to see the military equipment involved in the ongoing multinational Exercise Brave Warrior 2023 conducted in the Bakony Hills. At the Újmajor base (Camp Croft), Brigade Commander Colonel István Tóth received the German soldiers. Next to the lined-up combat vehicles, Chief Warrant Officer Torsten Doberas received a commendation of the Hungarian Minister of Defence for his sustained efforts and assistance with the training of Hungarian crews of the Leopard 2A4 HU tanks.

Lieutenant Colonel Sándor Horváth told us that the cooperation between the two parties is very good. There are several Hungarian NCOs and officers who are currently attending the German Bundeswehr Panzertruppenschule, where they are enrolled in infantryman, artilleryman and tank crewmember specializations. The lieutenant colonel emphasized that “They will be assigned designated key tasks in the battalion to be equipped with new assets in the future”.