Meeting of Chiefs of Defence in Qatar

Qatar pays special attention to cooperation with the armed forces of NATO member states. Earlier, a Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) directing the air operations of the North Atlantic Alliance in Afghanistan was stationed in the country located in the Persian Gulf. Currently, American, French, British and Turkish troops are stationed in the area of the state that possesses one of the largest natural gas and oil reserves in the world. The pools of land equipment of the Hungarian Defence Forces and the Qatar Armed Forces comprise several military assets of the same type: the PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer, the Leopard 2A7 main battle tank and the Ejder Yalcin armored tactical vehicle (known in Hungary as the Gidrán). The sameness of these combat equipment of ours provides an excellent basis for establishing cooperation between Hungary and Qatar in the field of preparation and training.

The Qatar Emiri Air Force primarily operates Western-type aircraft (Eurofighter Typhoon, Rafale, F-15, C-17). The Qataris train their pilots at their own national air academy, but this institution also provides training opportunities for the airmen of other countries in specializations such as pilot, air traffic controller, intercept controller, drone operator and air base manager. The just mentioned training programs also imply the forms of potential cooperation between the two states.

During his diplomatic tour, General Dr. Gábor Böröndi visited the headquarters of the Qatar Emiri Land Force. While in the simulation centre, he saw the simulators in use for training the crews of the PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzers and the Leopard 2A7 tanks, which are completely similar to the ones installed in Tata, Hungary. The Hungarian Chief of Defence was also invited to Al Udeid Air Base, the duty station of foreign troops. This airbase houses the Al Zaeem Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al Attiya Air Academy of Qatar, where a multinational team of instructors provides training programs meeting high standards and international requirements. The Chief of the HDF General Staff and the professional delegation in his entourage received a detailed introduction to the training complex of the Qatar Air Academy.