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Hungary THE HUNGARIAN ARMED FORCES
Compared with the other countries in the Warsaw Pact,
in the
late 1980s Hungary had the smallest army and air force, as
well
as the fewest artillery pieces, light armored vehicles,
and
antiaircraft weapons. It ranked last, along with Bulgaria
and
Romania, in the number of military helicopters, and only
Romania
had fewer tanks. In addition to lagging behind its Warsaw
Pact
allies quantitatively, the quality of its military
equipment was
decidedly "middle level," according to Volgyes. As of
mid-1988,
the military did not possess modern Soviet T-84 tanks,
MiG-29
fighter aircraft, or the new Soviet 5.48mm infantry
weapons.
Western analysts have claimed that the Hungarian military
forces
had the lowest combat readiness in the Warsaw Pact and
were one
of the non-Soviet Warsaw Pact military forces least
trusted by
Moscow. The HPA's military construction branch was the
only
section of the armed forces held in high regard by all
observors.
Of approximately 100,000 personnel on active duty in the
HPA in
1988, about 64,000 were conscripts. During a national
emergency,
Hungary could mobilize about 900,000 trained men.
Data as of September 1989
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