The Hungarian Defence Forces must be supplied with Hungarian-developed and -made equipment

Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said that if the Alliance and Europe in it wants to build credible deterrence, it must successfully respond to a number of very serious and complex challenges. He pointed out that the different levels – state institutes and agencies, the defence industry, from the military engineers to the soldiers as end-users – must cooperate with the private sector and the scientific community from informatics to future studies.

The minister reminded his audience that serious work has been going on in Hungary in the framework of the armed forces development that started a few years ago, because after the downfall of post-Communism, the whole system of national defence had to be renewed and adapted to the challenges of the 21st century. As a result, a modern military force is being created, which, as an active member of NATO, can do its part in the defence work of the Alliance at a much higher level than before.

He added that as part of this work, Hungary the building of a new, modern military industry has already been under way, along with the creation of a new economic, scientific and technological environment for its operation. The goal is simple: the Hungarian Defence Forces must be supplied with Hungarian-developed and Hungarian-made equipment, to the greatest possible extent. First and foremost, this is a security issue, as it is the safety of supply that makes all armies capable of action.

Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky noted that at the same time, the only way to achieve this goal is through closely cooperating with our allies. Thanks to the work done in the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) and the NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA), new vistas are opening up for the Hungarian defence industry. This will enable Hungary not only to contribute to Europe’s economy but also to be capable of showing the strength required for peace in the 21st century as well.

The minister said that Hungary is one of the founders of NATO DIANA and the NIF. He pointed out that it is a cause of great pride that Hungary, too contributes significant potentials to the efforts of the Alliance. The NATO DIANA elected Brigadier General Dr. Imre Porkoláb, Ministerial Commissioner for Defence Innovation Vice Chair of the Board of Directors, and in speaking about the Hungarian participation, the minister also cited the example of the the ZalaZONE Automotive Proving Ground as well as the fact that several ongoing projects in the fields of cyber warfare, biotechnology, laser technology and XR technology have been successfully gotten into the joint work.

Press release of the Ministry of Defence