Hungary and Ukraine's other neighbors are in a "pre-war state," which should influence the training of their armed forces, says Gábor Böröndi.Continue reading
In an interview with Honvédelem.hu, Gábor Böröndi, Commander in Chief of the Hungarian Armed Forces, spoke about the experiences regarding military exercises, the peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, and his upcoming tasks.
Based on the experiences of the month since his appointment, the Lieutenant General said that combat readiness has been assessed and the soldiers’ weapon safety has improved, but based on the experiences of the Russian-Ukrainian war, our defenses need to further improve.
“After taking up my appointment, I considered it important to get a clear picture of the state of the Defense Forces. The soldiers can best demonstrate this on the training ground, which is why I ordered the exercise called “Blue Lightning-1,” said the Commander.
According to the Lieutenant General, the exercise was carried out in several stages. At some point, they had to fight a defensive battle against a simulated enemy. “The differences in knowledge between the officers and non-commissioned officers of the different units were clearly visible, but
at least we have a clear picture of where we want to go and what we need to improve. What we need to keep and what we might have to forget and not carry forward in the new mindset of the Hungarian Defense Forces,”
the Chief of General Staff stated. He added that as a result of the exercise, the army leadership now clearly sees what other force development goals should be added to our existing capabilities. “The Russian-Ukrainian war is proof of the importance of these,” said Gábor Böröndi.
Gábor Böröndi during the interview. Photo: Facebook/Magyar Honvédség
The Lieutenant General also pointed out that the training of reserve soldiers was a very important part of the exercise. “Their motivation, commitment, and professionalism were impressive,” he emphasized.
Exercise “Blue Lightning-1” was immediately followed by exercise “Blue Lightning-2,” which involved all the Air Force units.
We tried to put all the regular military equipment into situations where their operators could demonstrate their readiness,”
said the Chief of Staff, on the largest exercise ever undertaken by the Air Force.
Exercise “Blue Lightning-2”. Photo: Facebook/Magyar Honvédség
Böröndi stressed that the contingent in Kosovo is the largest peacekeeping contingent of the Hungarian Defense Forces. The Deputy Commander of Kosovo Force (KFOR) is a Hungarian general, and the Hungarian contingent in KFOR is the combat reserve battalion whose most important task is crowd control.
“The Hungarian contingent excelled in diplomacy, the use of military force, and the handling of mass demonstrations. Our wounded have been cared for at the highest level, and many have already indicated that they would like to return to their comrades after their recovery,” the Chief of General Staff summed up the situation. He also said that recent events have clearly shown that in this region, a priority for our country, there is a temporarily frozen conflict that could resurface at any moment.
Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky (L), Gábor Böröndi (C). Photo: Facebook/Magyar Honvédség
In regard to the near future, he highlighted the inauguration during Hungary’s national holiday on August 20, after which military activities will continue in September, together with those newly inaugurated.
We will practice, train-and-prepare to defend Hungary’s security, either on our own or as part of NATO, if necessary. In other words, September will see the start of a more intensive training period, incorporating the experience gained in the first six months,
Lieutenant General Gábor Böröndi, Chief of the Defense Staff, concluded the interview.
Via Magyar Nemzet, Featured Photo via Facebook/Magyar Honvédség