Hungarian government to reinforce the army

“It is the Government’s decided goal to reinforce the Hungarian Defence Force, which guarantees Hungary’s security”, the Minister of Defence István Simicskó said at an event to mark the major refurbishment of the army’s fleet of Mi-17 transport helicopters.

Accotrding to the Hungarian news agency MTI, the Minister said at the event at the Lt. Ittebei Kiss József Helicopter Base that “Hungary’s security rests on three pillars: the capabilities of the Hungarian Defence Force, the NATO alliance system, and the dedication and patriotic commitment of Hungarian citizens”.

The Minister was of the view that it was particularly important that serving military personal should be suitably appreciated, trained and prepared, adding that they must also be supplied with suitable equipment.

He recalled that a government decision had recently ordered the industrial overhaul of the army’s 4+1 Mi-17 medium transport helicopters. Following their refurbishment, the helicopters will be able to remain in commission for another eight years or two thousand flight hours, further reinforcing the Hungarian Defence Force’s helicopter capabilities.

The Minister pointed out that the Ministry of Defense had issued an open tender for the full refurbishment of the 4 transport helicopters, within the framework of which four tenders were submitted by four applicants and the tender was won by a Russian helicopter manufacturer, AO Vertoljoti Rossziji, who undertook to complete the order at a cost of 3.9 billion forints (EUR 12.7 M). The company has performed the industrial overhaul of the helicopters in a suitably professional manner, he stressed.