Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said the Hungarian Armed Forces will soon have its stock of small arms replaced with arms manufactured under a Czech license.
Czech firearms manufacturer Colt CZ Group on Thursday signed a joint venture agreement with Hungary’s state-owned N7 National Defense Industry Innovation Holding to establish a small arms production facility in Hungary. The firearms will be produced both for the Hungarian Armed Forces and the international market, Minister Szalay-Bobrovniczky said in a video posted on Facebook. The minister called the partnership a “very important step in the development of the Hungarian military and the Hungarian defense industry”. Minister Szalay-Bobrovniczky said he firmly believed that Hungary should not just purchase equipment, but also “create an innovation platform, opportunities for innovation, jobs and generate tax revenue” in the interest of reducing its dependence on arms suppliers.