defence.hu
Special Insight
14:29 April 27, 2026
Organized by the United States Military Group of the U.S. Embassy Budapest, bloggers recently watched the dynamic moments of Exercise Jolly Vihar 2026, participated in a static display, observed the American rotorcraft and shared their experiences with servicemembers participating in the exercise.
Preparing for the NATO Tiger Meet Exercise
12:18 April 27, 2026
As of 4 May, the HDF 101st Aviation Wing will be representing the Hungarian Defence Forces with JAS 39 Gripens at Araxon Air Base, Greece during the NATO Tiger Meet 2026, one of the best-known international exercises of air forces.
Clear Sky, Sure Target
14:51 April 16, 2026
The military parachute national team started preparation at the HDF 86th Helicopter Wing in Szolnok. Besides numerous world cup rounds, in 2026, the team will also participate in the 48th CISM Military Parachuting Championships to be held in Slovakia.
Strong American-Hungarian Alliance
12:11 April 7, 2026
“Strong bonds between the United States and Hungary are especially important to us within the field of national defence. The development of the Hungarian Defence Forces, the significance of our NATO engagement and the mutual security policy cooperation are all fields where the United States is our indispensable partner”, wrote Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky on his social media page on 7 April, a few hours before Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Budapest.
Leopard 2A7HU tanks on live fire exercise
11:52 March 12, 2026
The 11th Tank Battalion of the HDF 1st Armored Brigade held a Leopard 2A7HU commissioning live fire exercise (LFX) for tank gunners on the Szomód shooting range on 3 and 4 March. At the same time, besides the commissioning LFX, the soldiers also carried out the test firing of the recently delivered tanks and zeroed in their guns.
Successful Rescue Operation in the Middle East
13:58 March 10, 2026
The Hungarian Defence Forces have already transported more than 480 people – including 385 Hungarian citizens – to Budapest from the war-stricken Middle East. The Hungarian Air Force helped with eight rescue flights to those stuck in the region of Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Oman between 4 and 9 March. The successful operation is the result of the effective cooperation among numerous units.
Using simulation to train soldiers of the future within a European framework
12:06 March 4, 2026
European defence cooperation has moved into a new phase in the field of modern simulation technologies: established by the European Defence Agency (EDA), the Modern Army Readiness with Simulation (MARS) working group held its session in Budapest on 25-26 February.
Help Is on Its Way!
12:02 March 4, 2026
“The situation has not improved in the Middle East. The first evacuation flight, an Airbus A319 of the Hungarian Defence Forces, has taken off for Hungarians who got from Israel to Jordan. We are constantly monitoring the situation. Hungarians can rely on us!”, wrote Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky on his social media page on 4 March.
Coordinating Staff decides on new endpoints
11:21 March 3, 2026
“This morning, the Coordinating Staff set up for the protection of critical infrastructure continued its work. We received reports about the weekend events from the Hungarian Defence Forces, the police, the Ministry of Energy and the services, and determined the further endpoints” – said Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky in his video message on 2 March.
Hungarian Lynx, Hungarian strength
10:02 February 24, 2026
“The commissioning of Lynx combat vehicles is about to start in another army unit. The Hungarian-made Lynxes have been delivered to the HDF 11th Motorised Infantry Brigade as well” – wrote Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky on his social media page. “We are not only talking about strength, we are also building it day after day, because to us, the defence of Hungary always comes first” – added the minister.