Letters to the Editor

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Hungarian Missiles Set for Destruction

I welcome the interest that Arms Control Today has shown (“Hungarian Missiles Set for Destruction,” November 2005) in Hungary’s destruction of Strela-2 Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS). Like you, we in Hungary believe that proliferation of conventional weapons in general and MANPADS in particular poses real threats to all of us. And international cooperation is essential in reducing this threat. However, I believe that one part of your article may confuse readers about Hungary’s efforts to accomplish our mutual goal.

Your article touched on a bilateral agreement signed on Sept. 27 by U.S. Ambassador to Hungary George Walker and Hungarian Minister of Defense Ferenc Juhász. Your article mentions that the agreement called for destroying “1,540 SA-7 missiles, also referred [to] as Strela-2s.” Later on, the article refers to Hungary’s voluntary declaration to the UN Register on Conventional Arms that “ Hungary said its MANPADS holdings include 243 Strela-2s, 61 Iglas, and 45 Mistral-2s.”

Readers might be inclined to assume therefore that there was a discrepancy in the Strela-2 holdings between the numbers pledged to be destroyed in the agreement and those that were declared to the United Nations. But the differences actually occurred because in its UN register declaration, Hungary communicated the number of MANPAD launchers it possessed, rather than the number of associated missiles. UN regulations do not provide detailed guidance on how to make such voluntary MANPAD declarations, permitting countries to provide either set of numbers.

I can assure your readers that Hungary’s data is and will remain reliable. We treat information exchanges to all international regimes, including the UN Register on Conventional Arms, very seriously, understanding that transparency is one of the cornerstones of world-wide security.

Likewise, Hungary’s security regulations in this regard are very strong and are fully implemented by all relevant organizations. Recently, in fact, a U.S. inspection team visited Hungary to monitor the destruction of some Strela-2Ms. These experts noted the high level of Hungarian security regulations in this regard and proposed that Hungarian facilities serve as models for other countries in implementing such security regulation.

 

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Col. László Tóth is head of the Arms Control Center in Hungary’s Ministry of Defense.

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