Hungarian Soldiers Participate in NATO’s Largest Air Defense Exercise

NATO’s Joint Project Optic Windmill 2025, an integrated air and missile defense exercise, is taking place between March 16 and 26, with the participation of 15 allied countries, including the two new member states, Finland and Sweden. Also new is the inclusion for the first time of the German Air Force’s IRIS-T SLM medium-range air defense weapon system, a highly effective tool, reports Honvedelem.hu.

The training is carried out using a complex virtual simulation, which is little different from the real thing in terms of command and control. For example, a flight simulator allows pilots to carry out air strikes against air defense forces.

The last time Hungarian soldiers were only observers at the exercise, which has been held in the Netherlands every two years for almost three decades, but this year they joined the exercise as active participants, an integral part of the international community, with their high-tech equipment.

The backbone of the 100-strong contingent representing Hungary is the 205th Dánielfy Tibor Air Defense Missile Regiment of the Hungarian Defense Forces, who is taking part in the operations with a deployable SAMOC guidance system and two NASAMS air defense missile firing units. The Air Operations Command and Control Center has delegated soldiers to the Air Component of the Combined Forces Air Component, in charge of the exercise.

I am proud that we not only have good military technology, but that our excellent officers and non-commissioned officers have perfectly integrated into the international environment, actively contributed to the joint training, and led their subordinate units in English, the common working language,”

said Gábor Böröndi, Chief of the General Staff, after being informed about the objectives of the complex air defense training and the exact functioning of the individual exercise design elements. “By participating in the exercise, we are improving the capabilities of the Hungarian Defense Forces,” he emphasized. “The in-depth professional environment will allow the application and validation of concepts and procedures already existing or under development in relation to weapon systems in a realistic operational environment.

The experience gained will ensure that our own procedures for air defense combat are as adaptable as possible to real-world applications.”

The Chief of the General Staff praised the professionalism and preparedness of the soldiers, which they demonstrate not only abroad in international exercises, but also in their daily work at home, in their own units. He said that “they are the pioneers” of new equipment acquired under the Force Development Program, which is a major responsibility to put into service and operate properly.

Böröndi also met Lieutenant General Jan Renger Swillens, Commander of the Royal Netherlands Army, who also visited the exercise in person. General Böröndi spoke highly of what he had seen and thanked the Dutch host for the time, effort, and energy invested in the organization and conduct of the exercise.

In the framework of the Joint Project Optic Windmill exercise series, the allies have been testing, practicing, and developing procedures for the coordination of integrated air and missile defense every two years since 1996. This year, the allies are facing a number of virtual and practical scenarios during the exercise, with a particular focus on drone defense. The main goal is to integrate air defense technologies and systems, creating a “system of systems” that creates defense domes over specific areas. The systems should be interconnectable at software and classification levels as well as at the hardware level, and all air defense units should use the same language and procedures.

Via Honvédelem.hu, Featured photo via Honvedelem.hu