NATO radar starts operation in Hungary

A three-dimensional NATO radar deployed in Medina, south-central Hungary, begins operation this Wednesday, and as a result, Hungarian airspace control is complete, Defence Minister Csaba Hende announced on Tuesday at the Medina radar station.

According to the minister, the new radar station contributes to the
protection of not only the airspace of Hungary but that of the whole of
NATO. The military alliance has such faith in the operation of the radar that
it financed 94 per cent of the construction costs from its own budget, and NATO
will also provide funding for the operation of the radar during its lifespan,
up to 2033.

He further pointed out that more than
half a million aircraft traverse Hungary’s airspace annually, and in
order to manage this volume of aerial traffic safely, it is essential to have a
sophisticated, modern airspace monitoring system in place.

Koen Gijsbers, General Manager of the NATO
Communications and Information Agency, said that eight radars had been
commissioned in total in the Czech Republic, Poland
and Hungary
as part of a programme. He added that these are the best radars NATO has in Europe.