Leaked Hungarian SAFE Plan Details €220M Counter-Drone Investment
A reported Hungarian defense procurement list outlines €220 million for counter-drone systems, €81.8 million for unmanned aircraft and major air defense investments under the EU's SAFE program.
Hungary plans to allocate €220 million to counter-drone systems and approximately €81.8 million to unmanned aircraft and loitering munitions under a defense investment program supported by the European Union's SAFE financing mechanism, according to a procurement list obtained by Hungarian newspaper Népszabadság.
Published on November 9, the reported list provides a detailed breakdown of how Budapest intends to use a revised €5.4 billion defense financing package. It includes new military equipment, air defense modernization, communications infrastructure and projects intended to improve military mobility.
The figures have not been independently confirmed by Hungary's government, and the reported allocations should not be interpreted as signed procurement contracts.
Counter-drone systems and air defense take priority
The largest new counter-drone allocation identified in the document is €220 million for portable systems and other equipment capable of defeating unmanned aircraft.
The proposed acquisition covers both hard-kill technologies, which physically destroy or intercept drones, and soft-kill technologies, which use methods such as electronic interference to disrupt their operation.
Another €81.8 million is earmarked for tactical unmanned aerial systems, including loitering munitions.
Air defense modernization is also a major component. The reported plan includes approximately €109.1 million for a SAMP/T long-range air defense missile battery and €104.8 million for upgrading Hungary's Mistral short-range air defense systems.
Other planned investments include €163.6 million for military off-road vehicles, approximately €288.5 million for two phases of a digital military radio communications program and several hundred million euros for road and railway infrastructure supporting military transport.
Existing military programs account for much of the financing
The procurement list also includes existing defense commitments covering Lynx infantry fighting vehicles, Leopard tanks, L-39NG training aircraft and associated maintenance services.
According to Népszabadság, previously contracted programs included in the financing package total approximately €3.45 billion.
The revised €5.4 billion package is significantly smaller than the €16.2 billion initially available to Hungary under SAFE. The newspaper reports that the government reduced its request to reflect budgetary constraints.
SAFE, formally known as Security Action for Europe, provides up to €150 billion in EU-backed loans to support defense procurement and strengthen European industrial capacity.
For defense manufacturers, the reported Hungarian plan highlights potential opportunities in counter-drone technology, air defense, unmanned systems and military communications. However, the identities of suppliers for several planned purchases remain undisclosed.
The distinction between reported spending plans and awarded contracts will be important as Hungary advances its procurement program and publishes further details of the projects financed through SAFE.
