Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky: Building an independent, strong defence industry is crucial

Speaking in Unterluess, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said that Hungary needs to purchase weapons to be able to guarantee the security of Hungarian people. By now, however, Hungary has already reached the level at which it does not merely purchase weapons, but the manufacturers of those weapons also move their production to Hungary, where we manufacture military equipment together with them to ensure the future assets of the renewing Hungarian Defence Forces.

The existing cooperation with the German Rheinmetall AG company – which has already reached the level of strategic partnership – had started well before several countries embarked on developing their armed forces in the wake of the war situation. Thanks to our partnership, the Lynx armored infantry vehicles are being produced in Zalaegerszeg, as a result of which the units rolling off the Zalaegerszeg production line will also strengthen the Hungarian armed forces besides the ones manufactured in Germany.

The Várpalota-based munitions factory – to be built in a joint project with Rheinmetall – is similarly important, and its significance is highlighted by the fact that today the manufacturing of munitions is already an issue and problem that affects Europe as a whole.

The minister also said that while visiting the Unterluess factory, the Hungarian delegation conducted a negotiation with the management of Rheinmetall on the current state of the cooperation aimed at the further development of the Hungarian armed forces as well as its future directions and possibilities. In this framework, in addition of the procurement of equipment, the possibilities for their Hungary-based manufacturing were also discussed. The reason is that besides the strengthening of the armed forces, the building of an independent, strong defence industry also has crucial importance, so that it can provide the supply chain of the Hungarian armed forces and emphatically strengthen the Hungarian economy.

Press release of the Ministry of Defence