The Defense Minister has said Hungarian Armed Forces will set up a Regional Special Operations Component Command (R-SOCC) supported by NATO member countries and neighboring Austria.
During a visit to Győr on Tuesday, Tibor Benkő said the R-SOCC will be tasked with ensuring that troops serving in central European countries maintain peace.
According to MTI, the Minister said the creation of the command is an acknowledgment of the performance of the Hungarian special operations unit set up in 2003 with the help of the United States.
Minister Benkő said Hungarian soldiers serving in this unit have earned international recognition, and noted that in Afghanistan their command mission duties include overseeing US troops, which is rare in general.
Concerning foreign missions, the Minister noted Hungary’s annual contribution of more than 2,000 troops to peacekeeping missions in Asia and Africa. Speaking in terms of Hungary’s ongoing large-scale military reform, he noted the plan of increasing the number of voluntary reserves from 8,900 to 20,000 by 2026.
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