Hungary has increased its defense budget by almost 100 billion HUF (324m EUR) for 2018, it has been revealed.
According to several reports, a total of 428 billion HUF has been allocated to defense next year. Development programs include upgrading battlefield armaments and the personal gear of soldiers as well as further developing the volunteer reserves.
Hungary said handling migration pressure would remain a task of the country’s defense forces, and 25 billion HUF has been set aside for related operations in 2018.
It was recently revealed that Hungary had sworn in 154 new soldiers at an oath-taking ceremony in Szentendre, to help protect Hungarians on home soil.
The Hungarian government has also submitted a draft resolution to increase Hungary’s military presence and extend its mission in Iraq to aid the international fight against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization.
Hungary's latest draft resolution, which requires approval by two-thirds of lawmakers to pass, calls for increasing the number of troops to 200 per shift and extending the deadline of the overall mission by two years, until December 31, 2019.
The major development of the Hungarian defense forces is now in full swing, the details of which are laid down in the Zrínyi 2026 Programme.