Twelve US Army AH-64E Apaches conducted live-fire exercises in Hungary as part of the multinational Saber Guardian 2025 operation.Continue reading
The air defense around Budapest will receive a significant high-tech boost: according to Combatant.blog.hu units of the medium-range NASAMS air defense systems will be deployed to protect the capital.
The announcement was made in a video published by the Pápai Media Center on June 12, in which Colonel Tibor Matyi Mihály, commander of the Hungarian Armed Forces’ 205th Air Defense Missile Regiment, said that some of the NASAMS (National Advance Surface-to-Air Missile System) equipment currently stationed in Győr (northwestern Hungary) will be deployed to Budapest. The army is waiting for recruits not only in the city of Győr, but also in the capital.
During the recruitment campaign on the iranyasereg.hu website, Budapest was listed alongside the vicinity of Győr garrison as a place of service where the recruits could receive barracks accommodation. This is a significant development as there has been no ground-based air defense unit in the capital since the late 1990s, when the former regiments were disbanded.
The first NASAMS systems arrived in Hungary in 2023, and according to available data, 7 batteries were purchased. Each battery consists of several launchers, which, thanks to the system’s network-based operation, can be deployed at significant distances from each other.
The ongoing wars in Ukraine or the Middle East have once again highlighted the key importance of protecting large cities. NASAMS has already proven its effectiveness in Ukraine, thus it is a logical step for Budapest as well to benefit from the protection offered by the system.
The NASAMS air defense system. Photo: Honvedelem.hu
The history of Budapest’s air defense dates back to the late 1950s. Initially, the capital was defended by the 11th and 104th Domestic Air Defense Artillery Regiments, but from the late 1970s, following a comprehensive modernization, the 11th Regiment took over this task. During the modernization, Sz-125 Nyeva and Sz-75 air defense missile systems were also put into service. The regiments were later reorganized and gradually dismantled: in 1995, continuous readiness was discontinued, in 1997, the units were withdrawn from their “peacetime” firing positions, and finally, in 2001, the MH 11th Danube Mixed Air Defense Missile Regiment was disbanded.
The current development provides an opportunity for the capital to once again have active ground-based air defense with at least one battery.
According to the military leadership, the public will soon be able to see the NASAMS system in action in the Budapest area in the form of exercises and demonstrations.
Via Combatant.blog.hu; Featured photo: Combatant.blog.hu