The technical acceptance procedure of a new NATO ground-based radar station near the village of Medina, TolnaCounty in the south of Hungary has been be completed.

“Hungary’s airspace control will be complete with the NATO radar to become active, thus serving the common defence of our homeland and NATO”, Hungarian defence minister Csaba Hende said at the inauguration of the radar tower at the site.

The radar construction cost 342 thousand euros. NATO covered 94 per cent of the investment-related costs.  The Alliance will maintain the station for 19 years.

The tower structure is complete with 111 reinforced concrete columns, said Lajos Moro, the director of the defence construction company. The installation of a new 3D radar device is under way. The radar is expected to be up and running in the first quarter of 2015.

Medina will be the third 3D radar facility controlling Hungary’s airspace after Bankut (nearby Ukraine and Slivakia) and Bekescsaba (nearby Ukraine and Romania).