Structure of the Hungarian Defence Forces

This article represents the structure of the Hungarian Defence Forces as of 2020:

Command structure
Unit colour of the Hungarian Defence Force[1][2]
Flag of the President of Hungary as commander-in-chief of the Hungarian Defence Force[3][4]
Hungarian soldier with Carl Gustaf M4 in 2019.
Hungarian Air Force Mi-24 P in 2019
Hungarian soldiers disembark from a Mil Mi-171E in Afghanistan in 2018
The Hungarian Air Force has 14 JAS 39 Gripens on lease, including two two-seaters (C/D versions)

Article 45 of the Constitution of Hungary states that the core duties of the Defence Forces are: "military defence of the independence, territorial integrity and borders of Hungary and the performance of collective defence and peacekeeping tasks arising from international treaties, as well as carrying out humanitarian activities in accordance with the rules of international law."

The President holds the title of commander-in-chief of the Defence Force.[5] The Government (chaired by the Prime Minister) decides on the deployment and operations undertaken by the Defence Force, all deployments abroad with the exception of EU or NATO missions, needs permission from the National Assembly.[6] The Minister of Defence jointly with Chief of Staff administers the Defence Force, including the Hungarian Ground Force and the Hungarian Air Force.

Since 2007, the Hungarian Defence Force has been under a unified command structure with all operational units falling under the Hungarian Defence Forces Combat Command. The previous Land Command became a joint-service, army and air, command. The two branches of the Defense Forces – the Hungarian Air Force and Hungarian Ground Forces have now only administrative functions.

Logistic Support for the defence forces is managed by the Hungarian Defense Forces Logistics Center, while the training for all units is the responsibility of the Hungarian Defense Forces Formation, Preparation and Training Command.

Order of Battle
Retired AM-21 Százhalombatta minesweeper in Budapest, other Yugoslav-made Nestin MS-25 minesweepers still used in Hungary

Hungarian Defense Forces Combat Command
  • Hungarian Defense Forces Combat Command, in Székesfehérvár
    • Hungarian Defense Forces Operations Centre, in Székesfehérvár
    • 2nd Special Operations Brigade "Vitéz Bertalan Árpád", at Szolnok Air Base
    • 5th Infantry Brigade "István Bocskai", in Debrecen
      • Command Company, in Debrecen
      • 3rd Infantry Battalion "Miklós Bercsényi", in Hódmezővásárhely, with BTR-80 APCs
      • 39th Infantry Battalion in Debrecen, with BTR-80 APCs
      • 62nd Infantry Battalion in Hódmezővásárhely, with BTR-80 APCs
      • Operations Support Engineer Battalion, in Debrecen
      • Logistic Battalion, in Debrecen
      • Combat Engineer Company, in Debrecen
      • Signal Company, in Debrecen
    • 25th Infantry Brigade "György Klapka", in Tata
      • Command Company, in Tata
      • 1st Infantry Battalion, in Tata, with BTR-80 APCs
      • 2nd Infantry Battalion, in Tata, with BTR-80 APCs
      • 11th Tank Battalion, in Tata, with 44x Leopard 2A7+ main battle tanks[7]
      • 36th Anti-tank Missile Battalion, in Tata, with 9K115-2 Metis-M anti-tank missiles
      • 57th Garrison Support Battalion, in Tata
      • 101st Artillery Battalion, in Tata, with 24x Panzerhaubitze 2000 155 mm self-propelled howitzers[7]
      • Logistic Battalion, in Tata
    • 1st Explosive Ordnance Disposal and River Flotilla Regiment "Honvéd", at Újpest port in Budapest
      • 1st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company
      • Special Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company
      • River Flotilla
      • Explosive Ordnance Disposal K-9 Company
      • Logistic Company
      • Logistic Battalion
      • Training Company
    • 24th Reconnaissance Regiment "Gergely Bornemissza", in Debrecen
    • 37th Engineer Regiment "Ferenc Rákóczi II", in Szentes
      • Command Support Platoon
      • Bridge Building Battalion
      • Low Water Bridge Building Company
      • Water Purification Company
      • Construction Engineer Company
      • Training Company
    • 43rd Signal and Command Support Regiment "József Nagysándor", in Székesfehérvár
      • Command and Guard Company
      • Combat Command Main C4I Centre
      • Transdanubian Signal and C4I Centre
      • Lowland Signal and C4I Centre, at Szolnok Air Base
      • Signal Battalion
      • Logistic Battalion
    • 54th Radar Regiment "Veszprém", in Veszprém
      • Command Company
      • 1st Radar Data Centre, in Békéscsaba, with RAT-31DL
      • 2nd Radar Data Centre, in Medina, with RAT-31DL
      • 3rd Radar Data Centre, in Bánkút, with RAT-31DL
      • 11th Radar Company, in Kup
      • 12th Radar Company, in Juta
      • 21st Radar Company, in Debrecen
      • 22nd Radar Company, in Békéscsaba
      • Gap Filling Radar Company, in Medina
    • 59th Air Base "Dezső Szentgyörgyi", at Kecskemét Air Base
      • Base Operations Centre
      • Tactical Fighter Squadron "Puma", with 14x JAS-39C/D Gripen
      • Airlift Squadron "Teve", with 1x An-26, 2x Airbus A319 (HuAF604, HuAF605), 1x Dassault Falcon 7X (HuAF606)
      • Operations Support Battalion
      • Maintenance Battalion
      • Logistic Battalion
    • 64th Logistic Regiment "József Szabó", in Kaposvár
      • Command Company
      • National Support Battalion
      • Transport Battalion
      • Movement Control Company
      • National Support Centre, in Budapest
    • 86th Helicopter Base "Szolnok", at Szolnok Air Base
      • Base Operations Centre
      • Transport Helicopter Squadron "Ernő Rubik", with 3x Mi-8, 5x Mi-17
      • Mixed Training Squadron, with 2x AS350, 2x Z-242, 2x Z-143
      • Operations Support Battalion
      • Maintenance Battalion
      • Logistic Battalion
    • Pápa Air Base
    • Air Operations Centre, in Veszprém
      • Air Operations Centre
      • Air Traffic Control Centre
        • Reserve and Training Air Traffic Control Centre, at Kecskemét Air Base
      • Military Air Traffic Management Centre
      • Meteorological Centre
      • Simulation and Exercise Centre
    • Military convoy escorted by the military police
      Civilian–Military Cooperation and Psychological Operations Centre, in Szentendre
      • CIMIC Operational Planning, and PSYOPS Operational Planning Group
      • CIMIC Evaluation and Liaison Group
      • 1st CIMIC Group
      • 2nd CIMIC Group
      • Target Evaluation and Analysis Group
      • Media Evaluation and Analysis Group
      • Product Development and Production Group
      • 1st PSYOPS Support Group
      • 2nd PSYOPS Support Group
      • Support Group
    • NBC-defense Information Centre "Artúr Görgei", in Budapest
    • 93rd CBRN defense Battalion "Sándor Petőfi", in Székesfehérvár
      • Command Company
      • CBRN-decontaminating Company
      • CBRN-reconnaissance Company
      • CBRN-support Company
      • Support Company

Hungarian Defense Forces Formation, Preparation and Training Command
  • Hungarian Defense Forces Formation, Preparation and Training Command, in Budapest
    • Hungarian Defense Forces Academy, in Szentendre
    • Military Administration and Central Registry, in Budapest
    • Peace Support Training Centre, in Szolnok
    • Bakony Combat Training Centre, in Várpalota
      • Simulation and Training Centre
      • Training Base Bakonykúti
      • Training Base Hajmáskér
      • Training Base Táborfalva
      • Training Base Újdörögd
      • Examination Company
      • Logistic Company
    • Training Battalion "Ludovika", in Budapest

Hungarian Defense Forces Logistic Centre
  • Hungarian Defense Forces Logistic Centre, in Budapest
    • Materiel Supply Warehouse, in Budapest
    • Military Transport Centre, in Budapest
    • Aircraft Repair Facility, at Kecskemét Air Base

Directly reporting units
  • Units reporting directly to Hungarian Defense Forces General Staff, in Budapest
  • Units reporting directly to Minister of Defense, in Budapest
    • Military National Security Service (KNBSZ), in Budapest
    • Signal, C4I and Information Security Group, in Budapest

Armed Forces structure graphic
Structure of the Hungarian Defence Forces, 2018 (click image to enlarge)

Geographic distribution of operational units
Hungarian Defense Forces Combat Command locations 2018:
Brigade HQs and infantry units Reconnaissance units Engineer units Special Forces Signal units NBC-defense units CIMIC/PSYOPS Logistic units
Air Bases: JAS-39C/D Gripen Helicopters other flying units Air Operations/Radar

Specific unit details

34th Bercsényi László Special Forces Battalion

The 34th Bercsényi László Special Forces Battalion serves as the HDF's special operations forces, specializing in unconventional warfare, internal defense, and counter-terrorism since 1959. It was originally designed to be a parachute unit in World War Two but was reorganized in the 50s to be enlarged in personnel and duties. Since its move to Szolnok in 2001, it has been trained by the Mobile Training Team of the United States Army and has been deployed to Afghanistan to assist other special forces units there.

93rd Petőfi Sándor CBRN defense Battalion

The battalion is a unit that participates in the prevention of CBRN accidents on Hungarian territory. Its assigned personnel and technical equipment are part of the Defense Disaster Management System. It was raised between 15 October and 1 November 1950 as the 9th Independent Chemical Warfare Regiment in Budafok. After several reorganisations, the regiment became a battalion, then in 1990 the regiment was downgraded to a battalion and was given the honorific of Sándor Petőfi. In 2000, the battalion became a regiment once again and was moved to Székesfehérvár. The move to Székesfehérvár was followed by several organizational changes and has undergone major transformations and modernizations.[8]

32nd National Honor Guard Battalion
A guard at Sándor Palace in 2013

The 32nd National Honor Guard Battalion (MH 32. Budapest Őr- és Díszezred) is the official Guard of honour unit of the HDF. It was founded on 1 January 2011 in order for the regiment to take part in the welcoming of foreign dignitaries to Budapest and in the changing of the guard at Sándor Palace. The official ceremonial honour guard of the Hungarian People's Republic was the 7015th Ceremonial Regiment of the Hungarian People's Army (Hungarian: Magyar Néphadsereg 7015 Dísz -és őrezred).[9][10]

HDF Central Band
The band at a parade in 2014

The Hungarian Defense Forces Central Military Band (Magyar Honvédség Központi Zenekar) is the representative musical ensemble of the HDF. Although it was officially founded in 1962, its history goes back to 1896, when the first Hungarian military band of music was established in Budapest. Today, the Central Band maintains a fanfare unit as well as a drum corps. The primary task of the Central Band is to take part in national, military, and protocol events. Other activities include cultivation of Hungarian soldiers and wind-music traditions, the promotion and amateur brass bands. The Central Band is a regular participant in international and domestic festivals, and nearly a dozen CDs of performances by the Central Band have been published.[11][12]

References
  1. "Hungary – Military Flags". Flags of the World.
  2. "3/1996. (IV. 12.) HM rendelet a Magyar Honvédség jelképeiről és jelzéseiről". CompLex Hatályos Jogszabályok Gyűjteménye. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  3. "Hungary – Presidential Flag". Flags of the World.
  4. "2011. évi CXIII. törvény a honvédelemről és a Magyar Honvédségről, valamint a különleges jogrendben bevezethető intézkedésekről". CompLex Hatályos Jogszabályok Gyűjteménye. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  5. See Article 9(2) of the Hungarian Constitution, Retrieved 2019-02-16.
  6. See Article 47 of the Hungarian Constitution, Retrieved 2019-02-16.
  7. "Hungary signs deal to buy dozens of tanks, howitzers from Germany's KMW". Defense News. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  8. https://honvedelem.hu/szervezet/mh_93_petofi
  9. http://bhd.honvedseg.hu/rovat/32_nemzeti_honved_diszegyseg
  10. http://m.harminckettesek.webnode.hu/ezredtortenet/rendszervaltas-utan/
  11. http://www.fricsay.hu/?page_id=561
  12. http://bhd.honvedseg.hu/rovat/kozponti_zenekar
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