Hungary’s New Military Helicopter Takes to the Skies

The modernization of the Hungarian defense forces have taken another significant leap ahead when on 17 November, the first Airbus Helicopters H225M destined for the Hungarian Air Force took its first test flight at Marseille/Marignane, scramble.nl reports. The helicopter was still in its yellow primer colors.

Hungarian Ministry of Defense has ordered sixteen of these H225M multi-purpose helicopters in 2018, including training and support. This came alongside an order for the smaller H145 helicopters already in use with the Hungarian Air Force. These will be stationed at the Szolnok military airbase, replacing the older cold-war-era Mi-17 helicopters.

According to scramble.nl, “the new helicopters will be equipped with the HForce weapon management system as well as modern and advanced avionics, an advanced communications suit and a four axis autopilot. The night vision capable H225Ms will be used for transport, combat search and rescue, and special operations missions”.

Another piece of the jigsaw puzzle in the Hungarian air defenses will arrive as soon as next year. The Israeli ELTA radar system will be in service with the Hungarian Defense Forces in a matter of months, reported the Magyar Nemzet news portal.

The Hungarian military industry will also be involved in the production of some of the units of the locators, which are part of the Israeli Iron Dome air defense system.

The equipment, which incorporates the Israeli company IAI ELTA’s “active phase-guided” (AESA) radar technology, will replace the old Soviet P-37, PRV-17 and SZT-68U radars of the Defense Forces.

The elements of the radar system will incorporate Hungarian-made components from 2025 on, Hungarian defense minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky announced after talks with his Israelicounterpart Benny Gantz in Jerusalem. He added that the defense industry, which is considered the latest engine of the Hungarian economy and has been given a new impetus in the Hungarian military development program, already has significant Israeli links, pointing out that the Hungarian Defense Forces also use Spike guided anti-tank missiles from the Rafael company.

The Hungarian government started the Zrínyi modernization process of its armed forces in 2017. New tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, drones, armored carries and firearms have been procured in the past five years, some of them have already been integrated into the Hungarian army’s active stocks.