Construction of the NATO radar is going to start soon at Medina in Tolna County, Hungary. Defence Minister Csaba Hende laid the foundation stone of the installation together with the representatives of the contractors and designing architects in the village on Tuesday, October 2.

Before laying the foundation stone, Minister Csaba Hende stated that “we cannot speak of an independent, sovereign Hungary if we are unable to keep our own airspace under surveillance.” The modern radar system of Hungary becomes complete with the construction of the 3D radar at Medina, the Minister of Defence said, adding that NATO covers 94 per cent of the investment-related costs.

The Minister of Defence said that with the state-of-the-art radar system and the most advanced Gripen tactical fighters, the Hungarian Defence Forces acting in the defence of the airspace can give the best responses to any threats from the air. To characterize the capacity of the radar, the Minister noted that it will be capable of detecting a sphere placed at a distance of 200 kilometers which is 30 centimeters in diameter.

Minister Hende also stressed that the Hungarian Defence Forces must always be supplied with the best equipment. “We are rebuilding the Hungarian military industry and are providing the Hungarian Defence Forces with equipment made in Hungary that is marketable even on the international market”, the Minister stated.

In March 2011 the Ministry of Defence announced that the 3D radar station meeting the NATO standards – which was earlier to be built on the Zengő and then on the Tubes Hills – would be constructed at Medina to replace a radar station that was made with Soviet technology and has been in service since 1987. The other two 3D radar stations providing surveillance of the Hungarian airspace operate in Bánkút and Békéscsaba.

(Ministry of Defence, MTI)