Minister of Defence held his Annual Report

In his account before the Committees, the Minister said that the security situation in the narrower and the wider sense has deteriorated in the past year, and challenges are anticipated principally from the East and the South. The Ukrainian conflict, the instability of the Western Balkans, terrorism, illegal migration, cyber threats, hybrid warfare and the growing number of instable states are all such challenges, which are hard to prepare for in advance. He also noted that Hungary’s security situation is stable despite being at the intersection of the mentioned Eastern and Southern threats.

In response to the threats it has been decided that a multinational regional division command is required, in the setting up of which Slovakia, Slovenia and Croatia have been involved. In addition, the security of the region would be enhanced by the Regional Special Operations Component Command (R-SOCC), to which five countries have joined so far. “Hungary needs strong, powerful, modern armed forces, with 21st century technical equipment, meaning key capabilities in the region, which can guarantee the security both of our country and the Hungarian people" – the Minister underlined.

The creation of the strong, powerful armed forces has already started, and this is served by the National Defence and Armed Forces Development Program. He added that during the Wales NATO Summit Hungary undertook to raise the level of the defence expenditure to 2% of the defence budget by 2024, including the fact that 20 percent of these resources will be expended for developments. The increase of the defence budget is proceeding well, next year the budget can be expanded by 103 billion forints. “The value of the military role has increased in the light of the new challenges, but we must realize, that if we want to control these, then we have to create new capabilities" – the Minister underlined.

He pointed out that the new developments are aimed to strengthen the Hungarian economy, and to make the army self-sufficient. The restarting of the Hungarian defence industry serves this goal, a good example of which is the arms factory built in Kiskunfélegyháza that can launch its production lines even this year as expected. Furthermore, a part of the revival of the domestic defence industry is the bus manufacturing and the light industry: the fatigue uniform of soldiers is produced in Hungary. The revival of the Hungarian Defence Forces extends to the leading elements, the military career and the preparedness of the soldiers – he added.

Development has started in about 40 fields in the framework of the program, embracing the acquisition of new military technique, such as helicopters, aircraft, combat vehicles, heavy artillery and air defence equipment, but the military education is being renewed, too, with the cadet program, with scholarships or with the cyber academy, and the public acceptance could be increased with the system of voluntary reservists organised on the territorial defence principle, which has been joined by more than 8500 people by this time. This goal is served with the defence camps, the number of which has significantly grown this year. In 2019 children are waited in 72 full camps of different themes nationwide.

Tibor Benkő said that the contribution level of missions was raised from 1000 to 1200 troops, and currently the soldiers participate in fourteen countries in such type of missions. About half of the soldiers in different missions serve in the Western Balkans – he noted, stressing that the principle in this regard has not changed: the problems should be addressed on the spot, where they emerge. Answering inquiries he told that the National Security Strategy can soon be tabled before the Government, the co-ordination of which between the ministries has already been completed.

The committees adopted the report of the Minister. Tibor Benkő was accompanied to the annual account presenting the Ministry’s work accomplished in 2018 by Pál Kádár, the State Secretary for Public Administration of the Ministry of Defence and Lieutenant General Dr. Gábor Böröndi, the Deputy of the Commander of the Hungarian Defence Forces.

Photos of István Ruzsa