A few days ago, theHungarian armed forces (HDF) received new Special Operations Craft – Riverine (SOC-R) boats. The Hungarian Minister of Defense, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, who was present at the handover ceremony, said that the armed forces were being expanded with “a unique new capability”.
For Szalay-Bobrovniczky, the acquisition of the SOC-R boats is the appearance of a “long-awaited, very important capability in the Hungarian armed forces”. In this context, he referred in his speech to the modernization of the Hungarian armed forces, which are “continuously developing on land, at sea and in the air”.
The minister cited the following examplesthe modern helicopter fleet andthe air defensethenew Lynx infantry fighting vehiclesartillery pieces andtanks and noted that the ongoing recruitment and training programs to prepare for the deployment of new capabilities were successful. He stated that “today is another milestone in the program to develop the armed forces and their capabilities”.
The boats are being delivered as part of the American Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program. This is a program for former US military stocks that are handed over to allied countries after a thorough overhaul.
The SOC-R boats make it possible to deploy and evacuate special forces in waters – even under fire. They are also able to provide fire support, carry out reconnaissance and intelligence missions, deliver general and medical supplies and evacuate the wounded. According to the Deputy Chief of the Defense Staff of the HDF, Lieutenant General Ferenc Kajári, the aim was to “provide our troops with modern capabilities with real combat power on land, at sea and in the air”.
Within the HDF, the Special Operations Command will use these boats in operations. The delivery was made possible by the cooperation and support of American comrades. “These boats are among the best, and our Hungarian Special Operations Forces will use them following a training program conducted jointly with the US forces,” said the Minister.
In conclusion, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky pointed out that military relations between the United States and Hungary are excellent. He also mentioned that in 2026, for the fourth consecutive year, Hungary will joinNATO-target of two percent of GDP for defense spending for the fourth year in a row.
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