Hungarian Defence Forces provide support to transiting Alliance forces

The participants of the 2023 Vilnius NATO Summit agreed on the establishment of an Allied Reaction Force (ARF). Currently, the capabilities underpinning the defence concept of the Euro-Atlantic area are being tested: in January and February, the first alert and deployment exercise of the ARF is being conducted, to which Hungary is providing host nation support.

“The personnel of the participating nations must deploy to the three target countries – Romania, Bulgaria and Greece, where they are going to spend two weeks – until 7 February by sea, by air or on land. We receive the British convoy for a day in Pápa. We accommodate the personnel, as well as provide them with refueling capacity and food supplies” – said Colonel Sándor Barta, Commander, HDF 47th Air Base.

He added that the base is considered an experienced host unit. “Last year, we provided support to 22 international exercises. We can simultaneously provide accommodation and catering to hundreds of persons at the base. The British personnel will leave our unit to move on to the Szentes base of the HDF 14th Engineer Regiment” – said Colonel Barta.

In accordance with its obligations in the Alliance, Hungary assumes an active role in strengthening common security and defence. Due to its geographical situation, our country is a key transit station in the Central European region, and therefore it has a crucial role in supporting the repositioning of military operations and forces.

“It requires intricate organization to ensure that a military convoy can pass through a number of countries without disturbance” – added Lieutenant Colonel Lajos Turzó, Vice-Commander, HDF 47th Air Base. “Through this exercise, we are supporting NATO in demonstrating the capability development and cooperation among member countries in the interest of common European defence. We are contributing to the success of this operation with high-level logistic support” – said the vice-commander.

Within the framework of host nation support tasks, Hungary can provide, at short notice, logistic support for transiting military forces. This includes the fulfilment of catering, accommodation, refueling, convoy escort and other needs. Through the above, our country strengthens the taking of joint action in the interest of regional and international security.

Besides the United Kingdom, this year’s high-visibility exercise of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization involves close to 10,000 service personnel from France, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Türkiye, as well as the three nations providing the venues. The objective is to test the rapid transit between partner countries as well as deployable capabilities and standard operating procedures in a simulated conflict scenario. Exercise Steadfast Dart 2025 shows that NATO is able to conduct multidimensional operations and reinforce the defence of its eastern flank.

Within the host nation support role, Hungary undertakes to coordinate the convoys, escort their march columns, accommodate and cater for Alliance troops as well as to use repair procedures if necessary. The last forces are scheduled to leave Hungary on 25 January.

One must expect increased military traffic consisting of staged military march columns moving on the following routes:

On Monday, 20 January, from 19.00 p.m. until 4.00 a.m. on Tuesday, 21 January, as well as on Tuesday, 21 January from 18.00 p.m. until 3.00 a.m. on Wednesday, 22 January on the route Pápa, HDF 47th Air Base – Main Road 83 – Main Road 8 – M7 motorway – M0 highway – M5 motorway – Main Road 451 – Szentes, HDF 14th Engineer Regiment. According to plan, the columns are to make short stopovers at the Inárcs rest area of the M5 motorway.

Similar increased military traffic is to be expected

on Tuesday, 21 January in the evening hours, between 19.00 p.m. and 22.30 p.m., as well as on Wednesday, 22 January between 18.00 p.m. and 22.00 p.m. on the route Szentes, HDF 14th Engineer Regiment – Main Road 451 – Main Road 45 – Main Road 47 – M43 motorway – Road 448 Nagylak, old border crossing point.

The Hungarian Defence Forces kindly ask all traffic participants to drive with great caution near the military vehicles/convoys, as their size and speed, as well as the length of convoys and their mode of movement may differ from the usual standards of everyday road traffic. At the same time, they ask the local residents for patience, and thank them for their understanding.