Hungarian and Allied Soldiers Fight for Peace

During the press-conference held on the joint visitors’ day of the two training events the Defence Minister emphasized: the exercises demonstrate the high-level cooperation and efficient actions of the Hungarian and the Allied Forces against the challenges of the modern era. “Hungary, the Hungarian Defence Forces, and the Hungarian Government are interested in participating in more exercises of such s type and to host such exercises as these training events serve our security" – added Dr. István Simicskó highlighting: it is also important to have closer co-operation with the Alliance, and so put into practice a collective and comprehensive system of defence.

The Minister said that the exercises similar to the present ones serve also the objective that the soldiers can acquire new or, until now, unknown military practices. “We have to provide adequate responses to the challenges of the present, and this military exercise serves first of all this purpose" – pointed out the Minister, adding that the participating units represented many types of military technology and capabilities at the shooting range.

Dr. István Simicskó evoked that this year’s Brave Warrior was complemented with Exercise Black Swan, which was conducted by the Hungarian Special operations forces along with the Allied Forces (American, Croatian, Slovakian, Slovenian and Romanian troops), and the training was also aimed at the acquiring the NATO-qualification.

Major General János Huszár, Commander of the HDF Joint Force Command, said that the objective of the exercise is to promote the effective co-operation between the special operations forces and the land force units. He added that they would like to hold Exercise Black Swan in the future too, moreover, it is planned to be extended through the involvement of several new sites and that of a wider circle of participants in the event. “The objective is that a unified special operations component, a command-level organisation can exercise in 2017" – he said.

The demonstration began with the action of the special operations troops – actually they captured a base – which was followed by the attack of the Hungarian-American land troops. The assault, led mainly by BTRs and Strikers, was supported by JAS-39 Gripen fighter aircraft, Black Hawk and Mi-17 helicopters, and D-20 howitzers. At Exercise Brave Warrior the Hungarian Defence Forces were represented by HDF 5th Bocskai István Infantry Brigade, while the US joined in with the 4th Battalion of the 2nd Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment. The soldiers of the HDF 2nd Special Forces Regiment provided an excellent performance at Exercise Black Swan.

The military exercise was visited by General Dr. Tibor Benkő, Chief of Defence, and General Petr Pavel, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee. The military attachés accredited to Hungary, including the ambassadors of the participating Allied States, also attended the training event.

Photo: Veronika Dévényi