Regional machinery and defence conglomerate Czechoslovak Group (CSG) has announced its entrance into the Hungarian defence industry by acquiring a 49% share in the local 4iG Space & Defence Technologies.

The move will also make CSG an indirect 37% shareholder in Rába Automotive Holding Plc., and the initial investments include a signed contract for the production and delivery of thousands of military vehicles and a possible participation in the Himars programme for Hungary, CSG stated in a press release shared with bne IntelliNews.

“Combined with Rába’s industrial heritage and the strategic backing of the 4iG Group, we can significantly enhance manufacturing capacity, technological sophistication and the export potential of both the Hungarian and European defence industries,” said CSG owner and CEO Michal Strnad.

He added that “CSG is today among the fastest-growing defence industrial groups”, building on “in-house development, strong manufacturing capacity and the ability to rapidly scale production across key segments – from land systems and ammunition to complex platforms”.

“We intend to bring this experience to Hungary,” Strnad also stated, while the company noted in the press release that 4iG announced the signing of a framework agreement with Hungarian state for the delivery of up to several thousand heavy tactical vehicles for the Hungarian Armed Forces in which CSG is participating.

The cooperation will take place through Rába Automotive Holding, and CSG is also introducing a new export programme for Rába covering medium tactical vehicles worth €1bn.

Hungary is interested in acquiring Himars systems which should be integrated at Rába on CSG’s Tatra chassis platforms, which CSG described as “a significant opportunity to deepen transatlantic industrial cooperation and strengthen its involvement in global supply chains".

“The framework agreement for heavy tactical vehicles and the planned order for the initial hundreds of units represent a concrete step towards localising production and developing Hungary’s industrial base,” Jan Marinov, CEO of CSG Defence Systems, added.

“The agreements announced today represent the largest step to date in 4iG Group’s defence industry strategy. A new era may begin in the history of the Hungarian space and defence industry,” stated Gellért Jászai, chairman and CEO of 4iG Group.

He added that “we are establishing partnerships and cooperations with leading defence industry and technology companies in Central Europe, the United States and Türkiye, through which domestically manufactured yet export-capable defence technologies and systems can be created in Hungary”.

As bne IntelliNews reported last month, CSG's January 23 IPO on the Euronext bourse in Amsterdam became the “world’s largest defence IPO ever recorded both in terms of amount raised and market capitalisation,” according to Euronext.

With a market valuation of approximately €32bn, CSG became the most valuable Czech company ahead of the majority-state-owned energy utility ČEZ.

Bloomberg estimates Strnad’s fortune at $37bn, making him the world’s third richest man below 40 years of age behind Mark Mateschitz of Red Bull, and Lukas Walton, grandson of Walmart’s founder Sam Walton.

Slovak investigative journalists also reported that the Slovak Ministry of Defence contracts signed with CSG earlier could have been intended to send a positive signal to investors ahead of the company’s January 2026 IPO. 

CSG’s teaming up with 4iG brings the Czech and Hungarian defence industries closer after Hungarian involvement in the Czech Aero Vodochody Aerospace aircraft manufacturer.

Aero was previously majority-owned by Hungarian Defence Minister Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky, who acquired it from Czech-Slovak investment group Penta and sold his majority share to a company SI 13 Aero Zrt, controlled by long-term CEO of Hungarian giant MOL, Zsolt Hernadi. The Budapest-registered HSC Aerojet Zrt. is a 100% owner of Aero, according to the Aero’s 2024 annual report.

Czech defence company Omnipol has a minority share in Aero. The family of Czech businessman Richard Háva, who has a storied history in the Czech defence industry, including several controversies, controls Omnipol.