HDF motor pool to expand further soon with another 56 Gidrán tactical vehicles

Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky informed the press that the 56 new tactical vehicles are a result of the yearslong work done in the Gidrán-program, and a stage of a likewise long process. He added that within the framework of the military development program, after thorough preparatory work, the Hungarian Defence Forces had decided to enter this type into service to fill the need for all-wheel-drive (4x4) vehicles.

“Instead of buying a complete end product developed elsewhere, or being fobbed off with some off-the-shelf equipment by an adept vendor, the vehicle type we have chosen is expressly developed to meet the needs of the Hungarian Defence Forces as a result of a joint development process” – emphasized the minister of defence.

Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky told the press that this development is a milestone, insofar as this vehicle will continue to be an extremely important asset type of the Hungarian Defence Forces in the long run as well.

He noted that the Gidrán has several versions. The type variants include infantry and artillery fire control vehicles as well as command post variants of different levels. The baseline vehicle of the Gidrán is the Ejder Yalcin, manufactured by a Turkish company, and the tactical vehicle was developed on this platform as one expressly designed for and tested under operational circumstances, developed by first-class defence industry experts in Turkey, added Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky.

He said that in the Hungarian phase of development involves the integration of CIS, reconnaissance assets and various elements of the armament with the vehicle, which is managed by the experts of the MoD ED Co. on the company premises.

Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky noted that the MoD ED Co., a subsidiary company owned by the Ministry of Defence plays a key role in the equipment supply and management of the Hungarian military. The know-how that turns Ejder Yalcins into Gidráns is here, at the MoD ED Co., he said, indicating that the gidrán is an old Hungarian horse breed, which is raised in Mezőhegyes even today, and was used back then as a hussar horse.

The minister of defence said that the new Gidráns form the elements of an important chain, as the force planners of the Hungarian Defence Forces are committed to this type, and several units and fields of use are planning to commission the Gidráns. These 56 vehicles have arrived in Hungary for integration, and once it is complete, the fully equipped vehicles will be delivered to the units of the Hungarian Defence Forces specified by the HDF Defence Staff – said Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky.