The Zrínyi 2026 Program. Limited Opportunities to Develop the Hungarian Defence Industry

Abstract

The Zrínyi 2026 Defence and Military Development Program is the most comprehensive defence development program of the past thirty years, within which the Hungarian government also set the goal of the broadest development of the Hungarian defence industry in connection with the comprehensive development of the Hungarian Defence Forces. With the launch of the program in 2017, in addition to the significant and continuous growth of the defence budget, the government has created a favourable domestic environment for the defence industry through numerous measures and organizational changes, moreover, it also intends to launch further development, programs and cooperation in the ten years of the program. The ability of the industry to take advantage of these opportunities and the weight of the Zrínyi 2026 Program in the complex domestic and international environment and factors that determine the development potential of the industry is a key issue for the government to meet its ambitious goals and to develop the Hungarian defence industry. The study examines the issue in the light of the results of the Zrínyi 2026 Program and the plausible expert suggestions for the development of the Hungarian defence industry.