Hungarian Military Industry - Rebirth from Scratch

The western Hungarian town of Gyor and renowned automotive group Raba have once again been put on the increasingly detailed map of Hungary's military industry with the production of Gidran armored combat vehicles for the Hungarian Defense Forces, together with the Turkish company Nurol Makina.

gidrán, honvédség Forrás: honvedelem.hu

Representatives of the Turkish defense company Nurol Makina and its Hungarian subsidiary, N7 National Defense Industry Innovation Holding Zrt and Raba Automotive Holding Nyrt signed a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday at the Ministry of Defense for the production of armored off-road combat vehicles in Hungary, an important area for the further development of the Hungarian defense industry.

 The Hungarian Defense Forces have so far ordered a total of fifty of the Gidran combat vehicles, but Hungary's military industry could deliver several hundred more

The Hungarian Defense Forces have so far ordered a total of fifty of the Gidran combat vehicles included in the agreement, however based on earlier reports, several hundred more may be delivered to the troops. The production of these combat vehicles will take place in Gyor, western Hungary, where the Turkish-Hungarian military cooperation will create two hundred new jobs and involve a wide network of suppliers.    

The final assembly of the Gidran combat vehicle is already taking place in Hungary, with the additional radar and weapon systems being integrated in Kaposvar (southwestern Hungary) on the base vehicle manufactured by Nurol Makina. This activity will remain in Kaposvar.

On the map once again

 With more than a century and a half of industrial history in the production of all-wheel drive combat vehicles, the town of  Gyor and renowned  automotive group Raba  have once again been put on the map of the Hungarian military industry, with a growing number of modern plants, research and development hubs being established. One of Europe's most ambitious weapons production programs has developed from almost scratch in Hungary.

 A Lynx manufactured in Germany, the plant in Zalaegerszeg launched production this year (Photo: Peter Lakatos)

In August, the Rheinmetall Hungary Zrt. plant in Zalaegerszeg (western Hungary) was inaugurated, where the primary focus is on the development and production of tracked vehicles for the Hungarian military, primarily the Lynx armored fighting vehicle. The new generation of combat vehicles, known as the   KF51 Panther, will also be developed and later produced here. The ZalaZone automotive test track is also near Zalaegerszeg, where a regional base of the Defense Innovation and Research Institute will be built. The plans also include the establishment of a drone research institute and center at the city's airport.

Giant factory in the Bakony Hills

Also recently, a topping-out ceremony was held for the Defense Industrial Park in  Varpalota, a 400-hectare site that will be used for the production of medium and large caliber ammunition and explosives. 

The Hungarian state, together with Rheinmetall AG, will create between 1,000 and 1,200 new jobs with the project in Varpalota, worth more than HUF 300 billion (EUR 782 million), setting up one of the largest ammunition factories in Europe.

 Topping-out ceremony of the Defense Industrial Park in Varpalota (Photo: Zoltan Mathe)

According to plans, the Hirtenberger mortar factory, which was purchased by the Hungarian state in 2019 and is scheduled to relocate from Austria in 2024, will also be located in the Defense Industrial Park in Varpalota.

Airbus built a helicopter parts factory in Gyula. The new facility operates in a joint venture between Airbus and the Hungarian state, and the precision parts and components manufactured there can be found in all Airbus military and civilian helicopters.

The Hungarian soldiers’ handguns are also made at a Hungarian plant in Kiskunfelegyhaza (central Hungary). The factory produces under license pistols, submachine guns and machine guns of the Czech CZ and the legendary American Colt CZ, now Czech-owned. It will also manufacture products - includin  RGW 110 anti-tank weapons for the Hungarian army - of the German-Israeli company DND under a contract between Dynamit Nobel Defense GmbH (DND) and the state-owned N7 Holding Zrt.

A contract was concluded three years ago for the purchase of 11 ELM-2084 radars for the Hungarian Defense Forces. Some of the Israeli-developed devices will be assembled and later maintained in Nyirtelek (eastern Hungary).

Aircraft, satellites, drones

At the end of September last year, it was announced that HSC Aerojet Zrt, holding an 80 percent stake in the Czech aircraft manufacturer Aero Vodochody, had been taken over by the Hungarian state. The Hungarian Defense Forces will purchase L-39NG military trainer jet aircraft from the Czech-Hungarian company.

At the inauguration ceremony of the Rheinmetall plant in Zalaegerszeg in August, Hungarian Prime Minster Viktor Orban  announced the establishment of a joint venture in Hungary to produce combat drones. The plant will initially produce the Israeli-developed HERO kamikaze drones.

The government is also exploring the possibility of developing and manufacturing radio and satellite communication systems with a base near Godollo (near Budapest), where several Hungarian companies are well positioned in this field, according to the economic daily Világgazdasag .

In addition to the above, several smaller companies are also active in the manufacture and development of military electronics, optical and radar systems and drones in Hungary. One of them is  Pro Patria, achieving increasing export success with its mobile combat radar equipment.

Cover photo: Hungarian soldiers test the Gidran combat vehicle to be manufactured in Győr in the future (Source: Honvedelem.hu)