Hungary Sells T-72 Tanks to…?

Hungarian T-72

The Hungarian Ministry of Defence has announced that they’ve sold 58 T-72 tanks to a Czech company, Excalibur Defense Ltd., who has begun transporting them into the Czech Republic. Under the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE Treaty), the Czech firm will face resale limitations, and they must also comply with certain Hungarian laws.

The sale is a bit of a mystery, but some local reports suggest a possible explanation…

US Defense Workforce Shrinkage, In Numbers

• Politico reviewed SEC filings from major US defense contractors and found that “The number of employees at the five largest U.S. defense firms has dropped 14% from a peak in 2008 – and 10% over the past decade.” Lockheed Martin shrunk its workforce the most, in absolute (-31,000) and relative (-21%) terms.