Head of Rheinmetall Power Systems division Christoph Müller noted at the ceremony that Szeged will be the group’s first hybrid site, where the civil business and defence technology activities will operate under one roof. The initial step will be the construction of a 15,000 square metre plant on the 85,000 square metre area adjacent to the ELI ALPS laser research centre, providing jobs for three hundred highly skilled professionals.
Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky announced in a video on his Facebook page that the Hungarian government is partnering with the German automotive and arms manufacturer Rheinmetall in a deal to develop ‘state-of-the-art, latest-generation’ tanks for the defence industry.
The Hungarian 4iG Group and German Rheinmetall will contribute to the digitalization of the defence forces by developing digital soldier, simulation and training systems in Hungary and in certain NATO member countries in the Central and Eastern European region. In this segment, the 4iG Group and Rheinmetall expect to generate revenues of €200-300 million over five years.
‘If I heard about a country that produces and develops military technology together with Germany and Israel, I would think twice before I would mess with it. And this is good news for all Hungarians,’ Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán underlined at the opening ceremony.
Rheinmetall is one of the few companies of its type with a proven track record of successful localisation projects. But that is only part of the story. Equally important was the trust that was built between the German corporation and the Hungarian government during the process of expanding cooperation.
The Hungarian force development programme must not slow down: cooperation between Rheinmetall and the Hungarian state will continue uninterrupted, Viktor Orbán nailed down.
Although no sources have confirmed that the Hungarian Ministry of Defence has officially expressed interest in the Sigma system, this state-of-the-art technology could easily fit into Hungary’s ongoing force development and modernization programme.
In terms of the volume of electronic sales Hungary is performing well, with 23 per cent of companies’ net revenue derived from online sales, surpassing the EU average of 18 per cent.
As per the agreement, customers of the 4iG Group—which includes Vodafone Hungary and DIGI—will be able to access the full range of RTL+ content from a single television platform, possibly as part of their subscription.
Hungarian military force development is currently taking place in several dimensions: rearmament, real estate and infrastructure development, and transformation of the HDF’s organizational culture. On the second day of this year’s MCC Feszt, Hungarian Minister of Defence Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky gave a comprehensive overview of the current state of the Hungarian armed forces, future plans, and why he considers Hungary a military nation.
Hungarian Conservative is a quarterly magazine on contemporary political, philosophical and cultural issues from a conservative perspective.
