The news, that urged me to start the HDF project, was that the first one of the new armoured fighting vehicles of the HDF got its first, very impressive camo scheme. Your first question could be: wait, are there going to be new AFVs?!
Yes! Within the armed forces modernization programme (called Zrínyi 2026) a decision was made in 2018 that Hungary buy 44 AFVs (Leopard 2) and 24 self-propelled howitzers (PZH 2000) from the German Krauss-Maffei Wegmann factory. From the 44 tanks 12 will be Leopard 2A4s for training purposes, the rest will be 2A7HU type ones. The plan is that the 2A4 variants will arrive in 2020 and the rest in 2023. They will be operating in the 25th Infantry Brigade “György Klapka”, in Tata, within the 11th (or 25/11) Tank Battalion, which now has 15 T-72s.
The 25th Brigade is the biggest unit of the HDF with 2 infantry and an armoured battalion, plus an AT and artillery batteries.
The HDF posted in the beginning of July the first pictures from the factory, when the Hungarian crew put on the national insignia and the unit symbols. There was also a dynamic presentation about the manoeuvring capabilities of the Leopards. The new colour scheme looks to me like the old, WW2 painting of the vehicles of the Hungarian Royal Army.
After publishing the pictures of course all the armchair generals started to debate whether the whole camo scheme is good or not, if the single colours have the right shade or does it need more pink. I always read these comments with fascination and a mild headache. My personal view is that it is possible to argue on a scheme, before we test it on the terrain where it will have to operate, but not worth the effort.
With the battalion symbol 
With the national and brigade insignia 
Anyway, there are still many open questions, like is this going to be the new standardised camo for all the leopards or just a salute before the old AFVs and how well is it going to perform on Hungarian soil. However, I quite like it, a bit refreshing from all the monochrome green or tan vehicles that you can see all around the world. I’m already planning to buy a plastic sprue (I think Battlefront has it) and try to recreate this new version of beast in a smaller version 🙂
Sources:
https://honvedelem.hu/cikk/uj-harckocsikat-vesz-a-honvedseg/
https://honvedelem.hu/cikk/megkezdodott-a-magyar-harckocsik-osszeszerelese-nemetorszagban/
https://honvedelem.hu/galeriak/bemutatkoztak-az-elso-magyar-felsegjelzesu-leopardok-2/
https://www.flamesofwar.com/Default.aspx?tabid=110&art_id=304&kb_cat_id=27
https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/MH_25._Klapka_Gy%C3%B6rgy_L%C3%B6v%C3%A9szdand%C3%A1r
Minis with moustaches 
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