Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday that his country had signed an agreement to manufacture combat drones in cooperation with Israeli and German companies as part of an effort to grow and modernize Hungary’s military and defense industry. He was speaking at the opening ceremony of a new combat vehicle factory in southwest Hungary.
“If I heard about a country that produces and develops military technology together with Germans and Israelis, I would think twice about messing with them, and that’s good news for every Hungarian,” Orban said.
According to reports, the Hungarian government owns 49% of the new factory, and Rheinmetall, a German company, has a 51% stake.
Orban took his plans several steps forward on Sunday when he announced that Hungarian companies would expand their activities in Russia despite sanctions and political difficulties. Orban’s spokesman told reporters: “Despite sanctions and political difficulties, Hungarian companies represented in Russia are looking for opportunities to expand their activities.”
Orban has been a close ally of PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. The Israeli PM described him as a “true friend of Israel.”
