Hungary Hosting the EU’s Largest Military Exercise

The more than 900 soldiers of the exercise, including the Hungarian Gidrán infantry company, are carrying out joint operations with the use of state-of-the-art equipment and procedures. The venues of the exercise are the Pápa Airbase and the Central Shooting Range and Training Area, where the preparedness of the battlegroup is tested during live-fire training and tactical manoeuvres.

Lieutenant General Ferenc Kajári, Deputy Chief of HDF Defence Staff told us that the exercise is not only about practising joint tasks but also about emphasizing Hungary’s commitment to strengthening the EU’s defence capabilities.

He added that “The efficiency of rapid reaction operations and international cooperation is of key importance for tackling the security challenges of the future.” MILEX 2025 is being carried out on the basis of the EU Strategic Compass adopted in 2022, and is meant to harmonise the EU’s defence forces. In the first phase, rapid reaction measures were tested during a computer-assisted command post exercise (CAX-CPX) in early March, and now, the training is being continued in real-world circumstances.

The exercise involves soldiers from Hungary, Poland, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Ireland, Spain, France, Croatia, Lithuania and Latvia. The exercise directing staff is drawn from the EU’s multinational military unit, EUROCORPS, with the active participation of the Hungarian soldiers.

Operations take place at the HDF Joint Forces Training Centre and the HDF 47th Airbase. MILEX 2025 plays a key role not only in developing the joint European defence strategy, but it also enhances the efficiency of future international operations.

Press release by the Ministry of Defence