The vehicles are able to perform all levels of missions, be it reconnaissance, chemical defense, or troop transport.Continue reading
The Hungarian government has pledged to raise defense spending to a share of two percent of GDP by 2024 and to maintain it at this level. At the same time, it has made it a priority to implement the Defense and Military Development Program (HHP; formerly Zrínyi 2026), to provide Hungary with all necessary means to defend itself.
The HHP’s development areas cover all defense, including ground force development, air force development, command and control, logistics and support, and volunteer reserve capacity, Mandiner reported.
The news portal learned from the Ministry of Defense that the first Leopard 2A7HU tank will be delivered this year. Until the delivery of the entire fleet, which will consist of forty-four units, the Leopard 2A4HU tanks, leased for training purposes, will be used regularly. Self-propelled artillery will also arrive in 2023. The procurement of the PzH 2000 is a historic step, as it means the Army will have mobile artillery again after nearly 20 years. In addition, the Carl-Gustaf M4 shoulder-fired anti-tank guns are already in service.
MH 25th Klapka György Rifle Brigade conducts Leopard 2A4HU driving exercise (Photo: Facebook/Magyar Honvédség)
Procurement of infantry fighting vehicles, which will be part of the armament system of the land forces offered to NATO, has also begun.
The first infantry fighting vehicle, Lynx KF-41, was delivered last year, and the first examples of the Hungarian-built vehicle will roll off the assembly line in 2023. This year, new “multi-purpose” combat vehicles – Gidrán 4×4 – of the armed forces’ Turkish partner will be delivered to the troops, the ministry told the portal.
Gidrán 4×4 combat vehicles (Photo: Facebook/Szita Károly)
Key air force developments include steps to improve the operational capability of Gripen fighters and direct air support to ground forces, the ministry told Mandiner. The other major move to improve fixed-wing capabilities is the procurement of propeller-driven training aircraft for pilot training (Zlin Z-242L and Zlin Z-143LSi), as well as the future procurement of 12 L-39NG training and light combat aircraft, which will “greatly contribute to meeting training needs and increasing the number of flight hours,” according to the Defense Ministry.
L-39 NG (Photo: Facebook/Aero Vodochody)
Priority is also being given to restoring transport flight capability. In addition to the A319s and Falcons, procurement has begun of the KC390, a twin-engine military transport aircraft being developed by Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer in an aerial refueling configuration. As part of the rotorcraft capability, 20 light helicopters (Airbus H145M) have already arrived, and Airbus H225M medium helicopters will be delivered in 2023.
As for air defense, the armed forces will reach a milestone this year: The procurement of a ground-based air defense missile system (NASAMS) and the establishment of the Air Defense Missile Operations Center will also take place in 2023.
NASAMS air defense missile (Photo: Facebook/Next Generation Weapons Technology)
Development of an air surveillance and air defense system identification capability is also planned, according to the ministry. Command and control capability modernization includes the purchase of a new family of combat radios with high data transmission capacity, Mandiner wrote.
Key planned acquisitions as part of the development of air surveillance capabilities include deployable 3D long-range, mobile 3D medium-range, 3D artillery reconnaissance and passive radars. Procurement of active radar systems has already begun.
This article was originally published on our sister site Ungarn Heute.
Featured photo via Facebook/MH Katonai Igazgatási és Központi Nyilvántartó Parancsnokság