HUNGARIAN DEFENCE FORCES. The All-Volunteer Professional HDF

Transcription

1 HUNGARIAN DEFENCE FORCES The All-Volunteer Professional HDF

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3 Introduction Hungary is a member of NATO, the most powerful political and military alliance. Substantial changes have taken place in the world around us over the past few years that precipitated in terms of completely different types of potential threats coming from previously unexpected sources and directions. Hungary has faced new security challenges in recent years. With a view to ensuring close cooperation with the armed forces of other member nations of the Alliance, Hungary had to transform and modernize her armed forces so that the HDF can cooperate with the armed forces of other allied nations. The reorganization of the Hungarian Defense Forces (HDF) has been completed. Some units and military organizations have been abolished, some were merged, or reassigned and some new units and new organizations were established in an effort to build a streamlined organization. The consolidation and the further development of the new structure is well under way. Military barracks in several garrisons have been refurbished, new facilities have been built to suit the needs and requirements of individual units. As a result of the procurement of new military assets and new equipment, the personnel and military organizations will enjoy the first benefits of ongoing modernization efforts in the near future. The mandatory conscript service scheme was abolished as of November As soon as the general draft ended and the last conscripts were discharged, the HDF converted to an all-volunteer military. Hungary, a modern European nation, is obliged to guarantee the security of each citizen. The security of this nation is safeguarded by the HDF. The allvolunteer, fully professional Hungarian Defense Forces posse all relevant capabilities to operate within NATO as well as to defend the independence and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Hungary in conjunction with other allied nations. Furthermore, the HDF may contribute to collective defense as well as to allied operations. This objective of this leaflet is to give a general overview of the transition to an all-volunteer military, which marked the beginning of a completely new era, our new capabilities, the HDF s participation in international crisis management operations as well as in emergency and disaster relief operations within Hungary.

4 THE HDF SAFEGUARDS THE SECURITY OF THIS NATION The defense of the Republic of Hungary is based upon the efforts and the resources of this nation as well as on our cooperation with other members of the Alliance. The employment of the Hungarian Defense Forces is considered to be a last resort measure among other means of preventing and managing potential conflicts. The Republic of Hungary endeavors to promote and safeguard the interests as well as the security of all Hungarian citizens and to ensure the defense of Hungary via our nation s membership in alliances. Hungary is a member of both NATO and the European Union, the most influential and the most powerful political, military and economic organizations in the world. 2

5 Hungary s accession to NATO in 1999 has precipitated in terms of a significant improvement in our nation s security. Since two neighboring countries joined NATO via the enlargement of the Alliance in 2004, Hungary is not an island surrounded by non-member nations any more. Now we have a direct link to the main body of member countries. The enlargement of the European Union in 2004 further improved Hungary s security status. In spite of the relatively favorable security situation there are challenges and threats in the world around us that Hungary has to be prepared and ready to manage, or to eliminate using a number of different means, including the employment of the military. Pursuant to the conditions of the 10 year development plan for the period between 2004 and 2013 the transformation of the Hungarian Defense Forces was launched. The ultimate objective is to modernize the HDF so that the armed forces should meet domestic needs and requirements as well as those of the Alliance. The implementation of the 10 year development program will facilitate major changes in the HDF. We will build an all-volunteer professional military organization, a capability based force performing complex tasks and missions with a streamlined organization, with well trained and highly motivated personnel operating state of the art equipment that is perfectly suited to the envisaged tasks and missions of the Hungarian Defense Forces. 3

6 THE CREATION OF AN ALL-VOLUNTEER FORCE Security risk analyses in the 1990 s proved that Hungary was not exposed to any threat that might result in an armed conflict and that Hungary was not likely to be involved in a major war. Consequently, the massive military structure at that time, actually a legacy of previous decades, could be dismantled, the number of military organizations and the personnel strength of the armed forces could be reduced, the distribution of units and garrisons in various parts of this country could be rearranged and amended, the command and control system of the armed forces could be updated. Democratic changes in the civilian society gained a momentum and there was a strong desire in the hearts of Hungarians to shift the emphasis of this nation s international relations in new directions and to enhance our cooperation with other democratic nations. Hungary s accession to NATO facilitated the adoption and the consolidation of shared Euro Atlantic values, the adoption of a new military culture, the significant improvement of the professional skills and expertise of Hungarian military personnel. As a full-fledged member of the Alliance, Hungary assumed a significantly more important role in the management of global conflicts. While NATO membership offered Hungary more comprehensive security guarantees, membership in the Alliance imposed new obligations and requirements on our nation, including the urgent need for qualitative changes in the armed forces. 4

7 We discontinued the general draft and we remodeled the recruitment scheme as well as our peace time and war time personnel management policies. The Government concluded that the Hungarian economy was sound and stable enough for financing the abolishment of mandatory conscript service and the conversion to an all-volunteer professional military service scheme. The objective was to build volunteer and professional forces that would have the necessary capabilities to perform more complex and more challenging military missions in the future. The Parliament adopted a new national defense act, namely the Act on National Defense and the Hungarian Defense Forces. The Parliament also amended specific sections of the Constitution of the Republic of Hungary. Pursuant to the conditions of the new national defense act the civilian population has to share the burdens of defense as a last resort measure only. The HDF became an all-volunteer professional military organization in which NCOs and enlisted personnel are volunteers who perform their duties on the basis of service contracts with the HDF. After a period of 136 years the mandatory conscript service scheme was finally abolished on November 3, The general draft was abolished in peace time and an all-volunteer force comprising professional and contract personnel was created. The conversion to an all-volunteer military brought along substantial changes in the defense sector that could only be compared to the change in the political system, namely the great political and economic changes that marked the beginning of a new era of democracy in the civilian society. 5

8 When the last conscript soldiers were discharged and they left their barracks in November 2004, the HDF became an all-volunteer professional military organization. One of the principal objectives of the HDF is to enhance the professional qualities of the new organization and its personnel. A completely new military culture was introduced and vast structural changes were initiated in the HDF. Since the personnel of the HDF are all volunteers who joined the HDF out of sheer patriotism and dedication to the military profession, they are ambitious, dedicated and they have the necessary skills and expertise to perform their missions. Hungarian military personnel s participation in emergency flood control activities and their outstanding achievements in critical situations along the major rivers in Hungary in the spring of 2006 set a shining example of our soldiers dedication to their duties, their skills as well as their stamina. In peace time the personnel of the all-volunteer HDF comprises military personnel on active duty, civil servants and civilian employees as well as volunteer reserve personnel who are called up on a temporary basis. When the mandatory conscript service scheme was abolished, the Ministry of Defense, which is one of the largest employers in Hungary, created several thousand new jobs. In this way the Ministry of Defense offered employment opportunities to a large number of previously unemployed young people. The Ministry of Defense is an equal opportunities employer. The MoD safeguards and promotes the interests of its employees. The MoD sets forth straightforward standards and requirements for each member of the personnel, pursues a policy of regular and fair performance evaluations and performance based promotions. The MoD appreciates and rewards excellence. The implementation of the MoD s housing program and the barracks refurbishment project comprises a priority area of the government s defense policy. With a view to improving the living and working conditions of the personnel as an integral part of the defense reform, facilities in several garrisons have been refurbished. The MoD provides accommodation in newly built, or recently refurbished barracks for approximately contract soldiers. Instead of large rooms with 10 to 20 beds, contract personnel are assigned to smaller rooms for 4 to 6 persons only. At the same time new storage facilities are built for military equipment and the standards of services rendered to personnel on active duty in the barracks have been upgraded. 6

9 NEW CAPABILITIES In the 21st century operations, capabilities, and partnerships are the three pillars that the activities of NATO will be built on. The HDF will generate new capabilities so that Hungarian troops can participate in Alliance operations. The primary mission of a professional force is to participate in operations. Units conduct training and prepare for new missions when they are not deployed on operations. The principle of rotation applies to units of the HDF that are designated for NATO and EU operations. Consequently, the training of units follows a 3 x 6 -month rotation scheme: after a six-month training program units are put on-call for six months. Force components are replaced every six months by a fresh set of units and in the third phase of the rotation cycle they are assigned to re-training, or further training missions, or they may placed on an operational stand-by status for a period of six months. 7

10 The complexity of potential missions necessitates a flexible structure. Such flexibility is provided by a modular organization. Hungarian battalions and companies must develop new capabilities to receive auxiliary modules that supplement their own skills with bomb disposal capability, special operational capability, air support capability etc. In other words, they have to become multi-functional units. It is the modular organization of our forces that ensures their expeditionary capabilities. Such expeditionary capabilities involve the operational and tactical agility of our units, namely their ability of rapid adaptation to operational challenges. These are the prerequisite conditions for deployability. As compared to the strategic focus of NATO on area defense in the old days, NATO and the EU shifted their security focus toward a forward defense strategy. 8

11 NATO RESPONSE FORCE The Prague Summit adopted a resolution about the creation of a flexible, deployable, interoperable NATO Response Force (NRF). Forces participating in the NRF will be on a high state of readiness and may deploy anywhere to conduct the full spectrum of NATO operations as decided by the North Atlantic Council either as a stand-alone force or as a component of a larger task force. The Republic of Hungary assumed responsibility to designate the following forces and capabilities for the purposes of NATO missions on a permanent basis: a deployable light infantry battalion; designated forces and equipment of units subordinated to the Hungarian Air Force Command to be employed in the NATO Integrated Air Defense System (NATINADS); with a view to facilitating the expeditionary capabilities of the Alliance, a contribution of forces to the NATO Response Force in terms of rotation cycles. Such force contributions shall be specified in advance for the entire planning period using actually available military capabilities and financial resources designated for such purposes at that time. 9

12 Hungary has played an active role in NATOled operations, for example in the Balkans and in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. NATO, including the Republic of Hungary, is capable of deployed operations thousands of kilometers from its own borders. NATO can safeguard and promote its long term interest in this way. Low intensity asymmetric warfare and high intensity maneuvering warfare pose new challenges to the Hungarian Defense Forces. HDF units designated for the purposes of NATO/EU response forces would play the primary role in such operations. In the course of deployed operations these units gain skills and experiences that they can pass on to other HDF units that also have to develop similar capabilities. 10

13 JOINT CAPABILITIES The capabilities of army units continue to play the primary role in determining the joint capabilities of the Hungarian Defense Forces. Such joint capabilities are based on infantry battalions as well as combat support and combat service support units that possess other special skills that make them suitable for deployed operations. The capabilities of infantry battalions have been enhanced both in quantitative and in qualitative terms as follows: the procurement of new communications equipment enhances the efficiency of command and control activities; new reconnaissance platforms have advanced reconnaissance capabilities; mortar teams equipped with 60 mm and 81 mm mortars can engage the enemy in a shorter time and boast improved air mobility; new vehicles offer enhanced mobility; upgraded combat vehicles have improved night vision capability; advanced combat clothing and equipment for indvidual soldiers offers improved survivability; the organization of battalions will be supplemented with new units representing new capabilities as follows : tactical reconnaissance teams; PsyOps as well as CIMIC groups, as well as a force protection units (to protect units in the theater of operations and to improve their survivability are complex tasks that are assigned top priority in the course of NATO and EU operations). 11

14 Deployable capabilities With regard to deployable capabilities, Hungary is working hard to endeavor to develop niche capabilities that are very much in demand in the Alliance and which Hungary made firm political commitments to develop under the new capabilities initiative, the Prague Capabilities Commitment). Such capabilities are as follows : bridge laying water purification engineer as well as nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) defense and surveillance medical military police. The deployable capabilities of the HDF will be made available also to the EU via the joint force generation process of NATO and the EU. 12

15 New capabilities Air Force, air policing, logistics, the Gripen-program In the framework of the largest procurement project over the past ten years Hungary leased JAS 39 Gripen EBS HU fighter aircraft. The fourth generation fighter aircraft are delivered in batches starting in The new aircraft will be fielded in Hungary and will be used for national air policing and Alliance air defense missions. The new Gripen aircraft of the Hungarian Air Force will be equipped with advanced air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons that will facilitate the operation of Gripens as multirole aircraft. JAS 39 Gripen EBS HU aircraft are among the most advanced fighters in the world. The Gripen is equipped with a retractable telescopic probe for air-to-air refueling from the same air tankers that are also used by e.g. Eurofighter, or French Mirage aircraft. 13

16 The new fighter aircraft can carry standard NATO weapons and ammunition, including laser guided precision air-to-ground weapons, such as the Maverick anti-tank missile as well as air-to-air missiles, like the AMRAAM and the Sidewinder. The advanced communications equipment on board of the Gripen facilitates data exchanges among friendly aircraft, ground stations as well as AWACS aircraft. Until 2015, leased Hungarian Gripens will be maintained using components, spare parts and line replaceable units (LRUs) from Swedish Air Force inventory just like any aircraft operated by Swedish fighter squadrons. 14

17 Radar program With a view to detecting and identifying airborne object in the airspace over Hungary as well as in the vicinity of the borders of this country and to transmit all relevant data to the NATO Air Command and Control System (ACCS), the planning and the installation of 3D radar stations under the NATO Security Investment Program (NSIP) has begun. The capabilities of the air command and control system as well as the new 3D radar stations in conjunction with the NATO Integrated Air Defense System (NATINADS) will facilitate the defense of Hungary s airspace. Capabilities development in logistics Hungary endeavors to develop the logistics capabilities of the HDF with specific regard to the development of the deployable capabilities of medical organizations. We promote multinational cooperation in logistics. With a view to ensuring the steady flow of supplies to deployed units as well as to manage a vast inventory of stockpiled goods and materials in a centralized manner, the HDF endeavors to build a central logistics depot. 15

18 THE HDF IN INTERNATIONAL CRISIS MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS Hungarian troops have served in various missions abroad since the very beginning of peacekeeping operations. In order to prevent the bloody rebellion in the island of Crete in 1897 Mr. Gyula Pintér, the consul of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy dispatched a detachment of Austrian and Hungarian sailors, who had been assigned to guard the consulate building, to the borderline between the Turkish and the Greek suburbs so that they separate the belligerent parties. It was in 1973 that Hungary participated in a peacekeeping operation in modern times for the first time. Hungary was invited to the International Commission of Control and Supervision (ICCS), which was created at the Paris Peace Accords that ended the Vietnam War. Ten years ago Hungary joined the UN mission in Cyprus (UNFICYP) as well as the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO mission) in the Sinai peninsula. Hungary has played an extremely active role in international crisis management since then. Hungary participated in the IFOR/SFOR missions in Bosnia and the KFOR mission in Kosovo. In 2004 Hungarian troops participated in international missions deployed in the three biggest crisis areas in the world, namely Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans. The first Hungarian troops were assigned to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan in August

19 The deployment of a Hungarian transport battalion with 300 Hungarian soldiers to Iraq, where they served in the Iraqi stabilization force until the end of 2004 as well as the performance of Hungarian troops in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan proved that the Hungarian Defense Forces are capable of an active and successful participation in international crisis management operations. Participation in peacekeeping and crisis management operations has become a core function of the HDF. In 2004 the government adopted a resolution stating that a maximum number of 1,000 Hungarian troops should be assigned to international missions at any time. 17

20 THE HDF IN DISASTER RELIEF OPERATIONS IN HUNGARY The MoD operates the Emergency Control and Disaster Relief Scheme, which comprises working groups possessing a wide range of capabilities. These highly trained teams have distinguished themselves in the prevention of natural disasters and in the elimination of emergency situations in Hungary in recent years. Emergency Control and Disaster Relief Teams participated in training exercises to prepare for nuclear accidents and other emergency situations, they participated in flood control activities along the rivers of Hungary, they provided assistance to the civilian population in severe winter weather, they worked side by side with the fire brigade and they helped put out wild fires, they transported and distributed aid in disaster areas. They offered valuable help to the civilian society and their contribution to flood control activities were highly appreciated. In August 2002 the flooding Danube river posed the first major challenge to Emergency Control and Disaster Relief Teams. HDF personnel and equipment were utilized to substitute civilian disaster relief efforts. 18

21 At the peak of the flood control operation several thousand soldiers and hundreds of HDF vehicles were involved in the joint effort. HDF personnel also distinguished themselves during the 2006 spring floods in Hungary, where 10,000 Hungarian soldiers and 400 military vehicles were used for flood control activities. 19

22 Hungarian soldiers earned the appreciation of the local civilian population, municipal leaders and the central government. 20

23 Commissioned by the Ministry of Defence

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