The Hungarian Defence Forces must respond to future challenges

The minister said that besides responding to conventional military challenges, “in the age of wars waged in the cyberspace", the continuous development of the Hungarian Defence Forces is indispensable.

The minister said that this aim is served by the formulation of key directions of development as part of the Zrínyi 2026 national defence and armed forces modernization program, the creation of the HDF career path model, the renewal of the system of volunteer reserve, and the launch of the national defence grant program. István Simicskó pointed out that after the “horrors" of the 20th century, we are living in an age of further armed conflicts and terrorist attacks instead of a hoped-for peacetime. Since the Second World War, 300 armed conflicts have occurred and 30 million people have lost their lives, he added.

He told his audience that the fact that terrorists also use state-of-the-art technology tools presents a great challenge. Furthermore, the boundary between peace and war is getting blurred, and it is often difficult to identify the enemy. As he put it, “political forces financed and directed from the outside interfere" on countless occasions.

In his lecture entitled “Security – the role of national defence and the armed forces, or what you can do for your country", the minister of defence also spoke about the three pillars of the Act on National Defence, namely the Hungarian Defence Forces, NATO and the citizens’ commitment.

He noted that currently Hungarian soldiers are serving in 13 foreign countries, 150 Hungarian troops are present in Iraq, and the plans include increasing their numbers to 200.

He underlined that as part of the career path model, the soldiers’ salary has been raised, and they also receive housing benefit.

“There is a need for young people who serve the Hungarian Defence Forces with a healthy national identity", the minister emphasized.

Photos: Tünde Rácz