Commander-in-Chief Visits Pápa Air Base

The president was welcomed at the entrance of the barracks by Col. Miklós Domonkos, Base Commander, HDF Pápa Air Base. The Head of State and his entourage – including MoD Parliamentary State Secretary Dr. István Simicskó Gen. Dr. Tibor Benkő, Chief of the MoD Defence Staff, Maj-Gen. József Kovács, Commander, HDF Joint Force Command, and Col. László Szegő, Head of Defence Department, Office of the President of the Republic – were first briefed on the history and main duties of the unit.

Dr. Pál Schmitt said that the briefings given by the base commander and Col. Hedén Fredrik, Deputy Commander, NATO Heavy Airlift Wing (HAW) had revealed that our foreign partners and allies are treating Hungarian troops as equals, and there is a great need for their work.

After the presentation the guests went up to the ATC tower to see the night flight training of one of the HAW’s C–17 Globemaster airlifters, which was followed by an inspection of the technical equipment of the ground crew at the air base.

"As commander-in-chief of the Hungarian Defence Forces, I always keep an eye on our military" – the President of the Republic said during an interview he gave inside the NATO hangar as he finished his visit to Pápa. He underlined that he had been to the Szolnok Helicopter Base as well, and based on these two visits, he is of the opinion that Hungarian soldiers are capable of meeting the challenges.

Photo: Tünde Rácz