Hungary rebuilds tank forces

Hungary received the first four of 12 Leopard 2A4HU tanks in July 2020. (Hungarian government)

Brigadier General Gábor Lőrincz, commander of the Hungarian Defence Forces' land forces, outlined lessons learned from Hungary's transition to the Leopard 2 main battle tank (MBT) at SAE Media's Future Armoured Vehicles Central and Eastern Europe 2023 conference in Prague.

Hungarian forces have received a company of 12 Leopard 2A4 tanks that will be used to train crews and technicians as the country undertakes efforts to switch its MBT fleet from the T-72 to the Leopard 2. The initial 12 Leopard 2A4s will serve as a bridge between the T-72 and the more advanced Leopard 2A7HU that will begin to arrive from 2023 onwards. Forty-four vehicles are on order from Rheinmetall.

Brig Gen Lőrincz said that the tank force will be propelled from using adequate late-Cold War technology to modern systems, which presents immense challenges in training crews and maintainers. The Hungarians are also ordering support vehicles such as armoured recovery vehicles and armoured vehicle-launched bridge platforms, all based on the Leopard 2.

Another challenge is that of national infrastructure – roadways and bridges may need upgrading to support the weight of the new vehicles when in transit. Firing ranges used earlier by the T-72 will need to be upgraded to provide a challenging training environment, and a local stockpile of 120 mm smoothbore ammunition is also desired.

The Hungarian Defence Forces are aiming to achieve a NATO-interoperable heavy brigade that will combine the Lynx, Leopard 2, and support elements, including 4×4 vehicles equipped with anti-tank guided missile systems.