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The Hungarian Defense Forces are adding watercraft to their newly purchased land tanks and artillery. The soldiers will soon be able to use two restored Special Operations Craft-Riverine (SOC-R). Pending their arrival, joint Hungarian-American training with the same type of watercraft is being held at the Szentes No. 4 (southeastern Hungary) water training area in February, Honvédelem.hu reports.
The 1st Special Operations Brigade of the MH Vitéz Bertalan Árpád and the U.S. Special Boat Team 22 took to the water in Szentes on the morning of February 21 during a flood. The swiftly flowing Tisza did not make it any easier for the soldiers, who had been training for almost two weeks. The Hungarian soldiers were still excited to conduct exercises on the SOC-R, which will soon be in the Hungarian army’s inventory, in cooperation with the American trainers.
Photo: Honvédelem.hu
“This boat was developed based on the experience of the Vietnam War.
Its ten-ton, roughly 10.5-meter-long armored aluminum hull can rip through the water with 880 rounds of ammunition and a top speed of 70-80 kilometers per hour.
It also has exceptional firepower, with a total of five weapon stations,” said Lieutenant Colonel Sándor Virágos-Kis, the Special Operations Brigade’s combat support squadron commander.
The Hungarian Defense Forces have purchased two SOC-R type river vessels that will be put into service together with a third donated vessel after their refurbishment. Their digital characteristics meet the requirements of the modern high-tech army, as they are equipped with advanced communication devices and can be upgraded with thermal imaging cameras.
As part of the preparation, the Special Boat Team 22 from the United States will play an important role in training the SOC-R operators.
They will pass on their knowledge to the Hungarian soldiers step by step in an international training course in several phases. “During the two weeks of training, our soldiers practice the handling, maintenance, commissioning, general troubleshooting, and day and night combat operations of the river vessels. The most important part of the latter is the unloading and extraction of special operations teams, even during a firefight,” said Lieutenant Colonel Sándor Virágos-Kis.
Photo: Honvédelem.hu
The watercraft, which can also be transported by air, can carry up to eight members of special forces in addition to a crew of four. The boats have very significant firepower. The U.S. Army has two high-fire rate GAU-17 Minigun rotary machine guns, one 50-caliber heavy machine gun, two 7.62 mm light machine guns, and two Mk 19 forty millimeter automatic grenade launchers on board.
David Pressmann, U.S. ambassador in Budapest, also visited Thursday’s exercise, according to a post on the embassy’s Facebook page. “As a member of NATO, Hungary benefits from cutting edge defense equipment and expertise. The Alliance makes Hungary safer than it has ever been. Sweden’s accession to NATO will make the Alliance stronger than it has ever been,” reads the post.
Via Honvédelem.hu, Magyar Nemzet; Featured image: Honvédelem.hu