Hungary hosts EU's 'largest' military exercise

Budapest, March 26 (IANS) Hungary is hosting a major military exercise of the European Union (EU), involving more than 900 troops from 11 member states, the Hungarian defence ministry said.

The exercise, dubbed MILEX 2025, runs from March 25 to April 10 and aims to test the EU Battlegroups' land-based operational capabilities under real-life conditions. Hungary's media described it as "the largest" of the bloc.

Training is taking place at the Papa Air Base and Hungary's Central Shooting and Training Range, where soldiers conduct live-fire drills and tactical operations using advanced technology and procedures, Xinhua news agency reported.

The exercise is overseen by the multinational EUROCORPS command. Participating troops come from Hungary, Poland, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Ireland, Spain, France, Croatia, Lithuania, and Latvia.

According to Lieutenant General Ferenc Kajari, the deputy chief of the Hungarian Defence Staff, the exercise underscores Hungary's commitment to strengthening the EU's defence capabilities.

"Effective rapid response and international cooperation are vital to addressing future security challenges," he said in a statement.

MILEX 2025 follows the EU's Strategic Compass adopted in 2022 and is intended to align the bloc's military strength with its strategic ambitions.

The first phase of the exercise, held earlier in March, focused on computer-assisted command and control. The current phase shifts to live operational scenarios.

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