Defense ministry state secretary Szilárd Németh has said guaranteeing Hungary’s independence and security will remain a priority for the government as reflected by legislation and defense spending.
According to MTI, Németh said there are laws and regulations in place including the comprehensive Zrínyi 2026 scheme that aim to develop the Hungarian army into the strongest and most effective armed force in the region.
The state secretary said that as part of the many army development projects, new helicopters, simulators and NATO-compatible hangars located on the air force’s helicopter base in Szolnok are being introduced.
Németh said next year’s central budget allocates HUF 616 billion (EUR 1.86bn) to defense spending, HUF 103 billion more than this year. He added that 30 percent of these funds must go to development projects, 10 percentage points more than the proportion set by NATO.
The state secretary also stressed that since 2010, the government “has laid the foundations of rebuilding the country’s totally dilapidated defense industry”.
Besides Hungarian troops, the police and customs officers will be supplied with arms manufactured in Hungary under a Czech license. As regards army the staff, plans are afoot for the armed forces to consist of 30,000 professionals and 20,000 reservists in 2026.
Photo credit: Népszava