Hungary on Wednesday signed a declaration of intent to buy air defence missiles from U.S. arms manufacturer Raytheon Technologies, Hungarian state news agency MTI reported, citing the defence minister. The deal, worth about $1 billion, will be managed through the Foreign Military Sales programme and will be concluded by the end of September, MTI added.
Hungary has long vowed to increase its military spending, which as in many NATO countries remains far short of the alliance’s goal of 2 percent of economic output. Much of its military infrastructure dates back to communist times.
It recently purchased tanks from Germany and is renewing its air capabilities as well, and Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government has put more focus on the military than most governments in past decades, when economic improvement was the priority....MORE
