The Hungarian Ground Forces are one of the branches of the Hungarian armed forces. It is the army which handles Ground activities and troops including artillery, tanks, APC's, IFV's and ground support. Hungary's Ground forces currently pulled out of Iraq and are currently in service in Afghanistan and KFOR.
Hungary was supported by the Soviet Union during the Cold War but since the Soviet Union's fall, Hungary cut tanks, closed garrisons, and minimized troop strength since 1991. The Hungarian Army now deals with national security, peacekeeping and international conflicts. Hungary joined NATO in 1999, and has spent millions of dollars to advance their army with technological equipment and weapons.
A listing of current land force units is here [1].
Military Equipment[]
- RS4/4 parachute
- RS4/4 LA parachute
- MANTA parachute
- 40 mm grenade launcher
- 93M frag grenade
- 96M frag grenade
- Black Ka'bar bayonet
- AN/PVS-14 Gen3 Monocular Night Vision
- HALEM-2 laser rangefinder
- 15/80 binocular
- PSZNR-5 recce locator
- FMG 68 decontamination vehicle
- VSBRDM 2 ABC recce vehicle
- SSM-1 chemical marker
- IH-95 radiation level and contamination meter
- CAM radiation level and contamination meter
- VFK chemical recce pack
- DS-10 regiment decontamination pack
- TMF-2 automatic weather station
- 93M protecting suit
- 96M protecting suit
- DECOCOM 3000 decontamination container
- regiment decontamination trailer
- 82 mm mortar
- 60 mm mortar
Hungarian special forces soldiers (KMZ) disembark from a Chinook in Croatia .
Small Arms[]
- PA-63 - Reservists Service Handgun
Hungary - P9RC - Service Handgun Hungary
- Glock 17 - Special Force Service Handgun
Austria - SKS - Ceremonial rifle Soviet Union
- KGP-9 - Submachine gun Hungary
- Heckler & Koch MP5 A3[1] - Submachine gun Germany
- AK-63E (AMM) and AK-63D (AMMSz) - Assault rifle Hungary
- AK-63MF - modernized AK-63D - Assault rifle Hungary
- AMP-69[2] - Limited Service Rifle Hungary
- M4A1 SOPMOD - Special Force Service Rifle United States
- Remington 870 Marine - Pump action shotgun United States
- M2 Browning - 12,7 mm Heavy machinegun United States
- Szép mesterlövész[3] - Sniper Rifle Hungary
- M24 SWS - Sniper Rifle United States
- Dragunov SVD - Sniper Rifle Soviet Union
- Gepárd family - Anti-materiel rifle Hungary
- M249 SAW - Light Machine gun United States
- PKM - General purpose Machine guns Soviet Union
- H&K M320 - Grenade launcher Germany
Armoured Personnel Carriers, Tanks, Amphibious Vehicles[]
- BTR-80 Hungary is the 2nd largest operator of BTR-80 in the World with approximately 600 units (598 pieces, most of them modernized, in use, few others stored in working condition)
- BTR-80A ( Nato caliber development process ) (30 mm autocannon turret versions) [4]
- BTR-80K ( Nato caliber development process )
- there is also an unknown number of modernized Hungarian-upgraded BTR-80s for technical rescue, medical rescue and NBC missions (these vehicles are entering service starting with 2009).
- BMP-1 500 pieces ( some in reserve)
- T-72 - 32 pieces Active Main Battle Tanks. 123 pieces T-72 in reserve, the rest are being used as targets for firing).
- PTS (amphibious vehicle)- very large tracked amphibious vehicle used for crossing water bodies and building bridges across rivers
- Cougar H MRAP - 13 pieces
- MaxxPro MRAP - 40+ pieces
- BRDM-2- 250 pieces
- M1151 HMMWV - 40-100 (?) pieces - most of them used in Afghanistan and the Special Forces [5]
Artillery: ATGMs, RPGs, Mortars, Howitzers etc.[]
- 9К115-2 Metis-M
- RPG-7
- 82 mm mortar - 50 pieces
- BM-21 Grad - 65 pieces (in reseve)
- 81 mm mortar - Unknown number
- EXPAL M-08 Combi 60mm mortar - 196 pieces
- 152 mm towed gun-howitzer M1955 152 mm howitzer - 30 pieces
Transport Vehicles[]
- Mercedes-Benz G-270 CDI BA 10 - unknown number
- Mercedes-Benz G-280 CDI BA6 C+R SSA FB6 - unknown number
- Mercedes 1017A truck
- Toyota Land Cruiser armored car
- Toyota Hilux armored car
- Mercedes-Benz Unimog - unknown number - Mobile platform of Mistral[6]
- Rába H-14 4x4 truck - The new H-14 series, can be armoured within 48 hours. The armour defends soldiers from bullets, splinters and IEDs [7]
- Rába H-18 6x6 truck [8]
- Rába H-25 6x6 truck [9]
- MAN 8X8 truck
- Star 266 6x6 truck
- Ikarus E-95 bus
- Ikarus F-15 bus
- Ford Transit truck - 41
- Mercedes-Benz Unimog U400 - unknown number
Air Defense[]
- Mistral [10] - approx. 185 (originally 45 bought in 1998, +140 ordered in 2009, with deliveries undergoing).
- 9K35 Strela-10 22
- SA-6 Gainful [11] - 4 batteries (each consisting of multiple launch units) - Will probably be replaced by US-made Patriot systems
See also[]
- Military of Hungary
- Royal Hungarian Army (1922-1945)
- Royal Hungarian Landwehr (1867-1918)
Sources[]
- ↑ Emelt szintű, intenzív kiképzés
- ↑ Újra szolgálatban az AMP69
- ↑ http://www.tomcatpolo.hu/blog/blog/blog/cplusd2005/cplusd2005_56.jpg
- ↑ http://www.honvedelem.hu/files/9/2872/bevet12_p.jpg
- ↑ Valid HTML and CSS: Fülöp Gergely (dreamlite), ACME engine: Aurum / (2008-08-18). "Honvédelmi Minisztérium". Hm.gov.hu. http://www.hm.gov.hu/honvedseg/missziok/afganisztan_prt/prt_bucsuztato. Retrieved 2010-07-25.
- ↑ "Mistral - Air Defence Missile System". Army Technology. http://www.army-technology.com/projects/mistral/. Retrieved 2010-07-25.
- ↑ http://www.raba.hu/jarmu/jarmu.raba.hu/keptar/jarmu/termekek/Katonai_jamuvek/RABA_H14_206/H14_00.jpg
- ↑ http://www.raba.hu/jarmu/jarmu.raba.hu/keptar/jarmu/termekek/Katonai_jamuvek/RABA_H18_206/alcazas_041.jpg
- ↑ http://www.raba.hu/jarmu/jarmu.raba.hu/keptar/jarmu/termekek/Katonai_jamuvek/RABA_H25_206/H25.206DAE-001_2.jpg
- ↑ http://www.hm.gov.hu/files/9/3713/Mistral_p.jpg
- ↑ http://www.hm.gov.hu/files/9/9803/gyakorlat_papan_1n.jpg
- http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=107633, a lot of pictures
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbF-0xPQtsc&mode=related&search=, a slideshow
The original article can be found at Hungarian Ground Forces and the edit history here.