In 1995 Hungarian military mapping was represented by 3 institutions: the Tóth Ágoston Mapping Institute of the Hungarian Defence Forces (MH TÁTI), the Cartographic Centre of the Hungarian Defence Forces (MH KARTÜ) and the Mapping Service of the Hungarian Defence Forces (MH TÉSZ), a direct commanding element of the former two. The latter was subordinated to the Directorate of Operations of the General Staff. In 1996 these three were unified into a common organisation, named Tóth Ágoston Mapping and Military Geographic Institute of the Hungarian Defence Forces and, soon in the same year, named the Mapping Agency of the Hungarian Defence Forces (MH TÉHI), the general director of which is, at the same time, the chief of the Mapping Service of the Hungarian Defence Forces.
Between 1995 and 1999, the military mapping service has continued its earlier production activities. Its basic aim has been the establishment of NATO compatible mapping products in support of the interoperability of the Hungarian Defence Forces.íp> The production of orthophoto city-maps according to NATO specifications, i.e. with a UTM grid and standard marginal information in two languages, as well as the production of the digital topographic mapping database in scale 1:50 000, begun in the first half of the 90's, have continued. The revision of the 6 sheets of the uniform NATO JOG (Joint Operation Graphics) map series covering Hungary has started.
By overprinting the maps accepted for use in HDF, the interim maps of 1:50 000 and 1:100 000 scales for the period of preparation for joining NATO, have been produced for the whole country. They are overprinted with a UTM grid and specified marginal information.
The formation of MH T&Eacuze;HI brought about important changes. It was appointed directly under the control of the Chief of the General Staff and provided with administrative authority by the Act on Surveying and Mapping activities (1996) and its Execution Orders.
Administrative authorities of MH TÉHI:
On the occasion of the 1100-year anniversary of the Magyar Conquest a book was published with the title "The Chronicle of Military Maps" and a travelling exhibition on mapping was organised for civil and military organisations around the country.
With the collaboration of civilian experts, the military mapping service have prepared the Hungarian Topographic Programme (HTP), which aims at the digital transformation of the national topographic map series.
The Minister of Defence, partially responsible for topographic mapping, issued a resolution in December 1998, according to which HTP would have a 6-year duration and a funding of HUF 10.7 billion and would start in the year 2000.
The aim of HTP is to establish a uniform, digital topographic database of the country and to derive digital cartographic databases for topographic maps in different scales.
The main task for 1999 is the elaboration of national standards for HTP by civilian and military participants. These standards will serve as a basis of HTP starting in 2000. For its funding, apart from home resources, an application was submitted for PHARE support as well.
On 4th February 1999, MH TÉHI celebrated the 80th anniversary of the foundation of independent Hungarian military mapping.
On this occasion, the Mapping History Museum of MH TÉHI was extended with an instrument -show and with the addition of exhibits from the history of the last 20 years.
Publications on the occasion of the anniversary
MH TÉHI have laid stress on basic and post-graduate education of their experts. In preparation for joining NATO, many of the officers and civilian employees have learnt foreign languages, especially English.
The staff have studied at different technical colleges and universities. In 1995 a new department, Mapping and Military Geography, was opened at the Zrínyi Miklós University of National Defence (ZMNE).
Further education has been organized through in-house training courses and self-education as well as at the Budapest Technical University Postgraduate section. A 3-year course for military engineering was organized at the same University. Now the second class is running with 9 students.
There have been language courses and professional training courses held in the USA, Canada, Germany, France and Great Britain for students from MH TÉHI.
As fas as possible, MH TÉHI have participated in international civil and NATO/PfP conferences, too. They have regularly participated in the work of the NATO standardization working group.
It is outstanding that MH TÉHI had the opportunity to hold the NATO/PfP mapping workshop on 3rd February 1999, where a number of countries, members of PfP as of today, gave accounts on their preparations and results in connection with their NATO accession.
MH TÉHI have been represented at national programmes of geodesy, photogrammetry, cartography and geo-informatics, and have given professional demonstrations at their facilities over their results and products.
Scientific research
MH TÉHI is a prioritized research site of military science of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA). In recent years many people working for the Agency have achieved Ph.D. degrees and since 1998 two have been studying for qualifying for a candidate's degree at ZMNE University.
Results of scientific research have been published at conferences, in professional publications and at other forums.
Research work in cartography has included the digital revision of maps and modernisation of thematic maps. MH TÉHI have participated in the activities of standardisation working groups on national civilian and NATO accession events.
In other areas of mapping and geodesy, like photogrammetry or geo-informatics, research is going on to establish the new digital mapping system based on modern geodetic, geo-informatic and photogrammetric achievements in Hungary and to derive a cartographically edited topographic and thematic map series.
Research has also been done in the subject of military geography according to demand of the Hungarian Defence Forces. This has resulted in publications, videos and other materials both for military and civilian uses.
National and international connections of MH TÉHI
The connections have been significantly widened recently both in military and mapping areas.
MH TÉHI have active contacts with the Department of Lands and Mapping of the Ministry of Agriculture and Regional Development, the mapping departments of Hungarian universities and other R+D organisations. They also keep in touch with the Ministry of Transport, Telecommunication and Water-Management, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and with leading national companies of geo-informatics and mapping.
Links to military mapping services extend to 17 countries on different cooperation levels. Six of these are NATO members, nine are members of the Partnership for Peace.
In the future MH TÉHI plan to expand their connections to civilian and military Mapping organisations of other NATO/PfP members.
Main tasks
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