‘History has made us mutually reliant,’ General Gábor Böröndi, Chief of the Hungarian Defence Forces emphasized. Across the Visegrád Four, trust and real military capability are being forged through joint exercises and close cooperation.
According to honvedelem.hu, Hungary, as the current chair of the Visegrád Cooperation, welcomed military delegations from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland. Böröndi stressed that the goal is not merely theoretical cooperation but the development of genuine joint capabilities. A prime example of this is the Breakthrough 2025 exercise, which strengthens artillery and armoured warfare proficiency.
The General emphasized that most often we meet around negotiating tables and merely talk about cooperation. One of the main goals of the Hungarian chairmanship is to establish tangible international capabilities through exercises like Breakthrough 2025.
Historically, the nations of Central Europe have long depended on each other, and current global tensions—from the war in Ukraine to stability in the Balkans and other geopolitical challenges—make unity all the more essential. During the exercise, artillery and armoured capabilities were tested, procedures were harmonized, and it was clear that the nations could operate together effectively. Joint exercises and trust-building ensure that every inch of NATO territory, as well as each country’s own borders, can be defended.
The Chiefs of Defence meeting began with a conference covering the practical experiences of Adaptive Hussars 2025, V4 training and logistical cooperation, challenges in Hungary’s reservist recruitment system, and XR/VR research by the Defence Innovation Research Institute. Following the plenary sessions, the delegations observed the operational phase of Breakthrough 2025 at the Nullpont Central Firing and Training Range. The MH Klapka György 1st Armoured Brigade’s 11th Tank Battalion, led by Vitéz Tarczay Ervin, conducted live-fire exercises alongside Slovak tank crews. Meanwhile, the 1st Self-Propelled Artillery Battalion, together with Slovak and Polish artillery units, practised firing positions, fire coordination, and fire support in a complex and visually impressive demonstration.
The exercise and the Chiefs of Defence meeting clearly demonstrate how cooperation among the Visegrád Four strengthens regional security while developing national military capability and reinforcing alliance trust.
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