The Ministry of Defence and the Hungarian Defence Forces again invite those interested in aviation, military technology and the cause of national defence to the 2013 International Air Show and the related military display to be held in Kecskemét on August 3-4.

In the morning of February 28, Lt.-Gen. Dr. Zoltán Orosz held a press conference on the air show at Exhibition “Travel” which is being hosted in the area of Hungexpo in Budapest. The deputy chief of the Defence Staff said that they had set up a separate organization within the Ministry of Defence to supervise the preparations for this significant event and the organizing work. Its president is Deputy State Secretary for Defence Economy Dr. Zoltán Borbíró – who was also present at the press conference – and its co-president is Lt.-Gen. Orosz himself.

The organizers have sent out invitations for more than 20 countries to participate in the air show, and most nations are expected to give a definite answer by late March or early April. Three nations have already confirmed their participation, so the Russian Knights will be present at Kecskemét, and Croatia and Spain will also be represented in Hungary by formation flying teams. So far, the preliminary informal notices from other invited countries have also been promising.

Zoltán Orosz added that there would be a seven-plus-hour program for the interested visitors on both days of the air show. The organizers have invited several excellent representatives of Hungarian civil aviation and sports flying, and of course, the interested visitors will be introduced to the whole arsenal of the Hungarian Defence Forces on static displays. The homepage www.repulonap2013.hu and the Facebook-site of the event are worth visiting regularly for new information.

Since the Ministry of Defence and the Hungarian Defence Forces would like to have as many visitors in Kecskemét as possible on the first weekend of August, admission tickets have the same price as those for the last air show in 2010. You can already buy tickets at Exhibition “Travel”, but they will “officially” be on sale only from April on, with the help of Szerencsejáték Ltd and the Hungarian Post Office Ltd. Tickets can be booked in advance at a reduced price right until August 2.

Over the coming months, honvedelem.hu will also provide regular coverage of the further details, developments and preparations.

(Ádám Draveczki-Ury)