Defence forces provide air evacuation capability to Polish-led EU battlegroup

Hungary has offered a strategic air evacuation capability to support the Polish-led EU battle group (Visegrad Battle Group, V4 EUBG), announced the spokesperson of Brigadier General Csaba Ugrik, representing the Hungarian Defence Forces..

According to information, Poland has proposed a battle group for the second half of 2024 and the first half of 2025 in order to fill the gaps in the EU rotation plan. Due to the unexpected nature of the task, Poland has requested assistance from other Visegrad Group countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary) to fill the capability gaps in the Polish battle group.

Hungary offered the battle group a strategic air evacuation capability (StratAirMedEvac),

which will be provided by an Airbus A319 aircraft with a crew of navigators, support and medical personnel and 200 flight hours (100 hours in 2024-II, 100 hours in 2025-I).

The proposed Hungarian force in support of the Polish-led EU Air Support Group will be called MH EUBG StratAirMedEvac, which, although not directly part of the Polish-led EU Air Support Group, will provide a strategic standby support capability from a home base. If necessary, the Hungarian contingent may therefore be called upon to carry out strategic air medical evacuation missions in support of EU Air Support Group operations.

Strategic air medical evacuation mainly involves repatriating military wounded of the EU Support Group led by Poland from the area of ​​operations, with professional medical care. Possible transport destinations are in principle Warsaw, Prague, Bratislava, but other airports can be evacuated on a case-by-case basis.

Hungary plans to participate more significantly in the Polish-led battlegroup in 2028.

The Visegrad Battlegroup or EU V4 Battlegroup currently has around 2,400 members and was established in 2015. It carried out its first deployment in the first half of 2016 and will now be deployed for the fourth time, having also carried out a mission in the first half of 2023.

The EU battlegroups will be deployed on a rotational basis, with the aim of being able to deploy in a crisis situation within a radius of 6,000 kilometres around Brussels within 10 days. They have never been deployed in a real situation before.

Via MTI; Featured image via honvedelem.hu