Hungarian Air Force
Encyclopedia
The Hungarian Air Force is the air force branch of the Hungarian Army
.
, but was disbanded upon its downfall. http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/hung/hungaf2.htm
(1920), Hungary was forbidden from owning military aircraft. However, a secret air arm was gradually established under the cover of civilian flying clubs. During 1938, the existence of the Royal Hungarian Air Force , was made known. The air arm was reorganized and expanded. On 1 January 1939, it became independent of the army. It subsequently participated in clashes with the newly established Slovak Republic and in the border confrontation with the Kingdom of Romania
. In April 1941, operations were conducted in support of the German invasion of Yugoslavia and, on 27 June 1941, Hungary declared war on the Soviet Union
. On 1 March 1942, the air force was returned to army control. In the summer of 1942, an air brigade was attached to the Luftwaffe's
VIII. Fliegerkorps
on the Eastern Front
. Beginning March 1944, Allied bomber raids began on Hungary and progressively increased in intensity. Late in 1944 all efforts were redirected towards countering the advancing Red Army
, but to no avail. All fighting in Hungary ended on 16 April 1945. http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/hung/hungaf2.htm
, sections of the Hungarian Air Force attacked Soviet forces and resisted Russian attempts to occupy their bases. The resistance was short-lived and the air force was demobilized
soon after. A reconstituted air arm was reformed in the following year, but initially only as an internal security force. Gradually, the air force was expanded again, but it remained an integral part of the army and was essentially a defensive force. The Soviets kept MIG 29s based at Tokol until 1991 to defend Hungarian airspace.
In mid-1993, three batches of the MIG 29s were delivered from Russia. They were based at Kecskemet. In 1994, a German gift of 20 MIL 24D/V's and 20 L-39's were donated. In 1997, Hungary undertook its first flying training course since 1956. The cost of the course was too high and was halted after the completion of only one course. Also in 1997 the MIG 23s and SU 22s were withdrawn from service. During the 1990s all combat aircraft were fitted with new Identification Friend or Foe (IFF)
systems to enable operations in Western airspace. In April 2002, Hungary joined the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC)
pilot training program. http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/hung/hungaf2.htm
The 59th Tactical Fighter Wing is the fixed-winged part of the Air Force. The 59th consists of 2 Fighter plane Squadrons and 1 Transport Squadron.
There are two Fighter Squadrons in the 59th Wing, the "Puma" [cougar] and "Dongó" [bumblebee] Squadrons. The 1st SQN operates the JAS-39 and the 2nd SQN operates the MiG-29. The 3rd squadron is the air-transport squadron with AN-26.
The Hungarian Air Force is leasing-buying 14 JAS 39 Gripen
s, 2 of which are dual-seaters, for 12 years beginning in 2006. By December 2007 all the 14 jets had been delivered.
After the lease period expires, Hungary will own the Gripen.
This is the transport squadron of the 59th Wing. They operate:
The An-26s are due to be replaced by new transport planes after 2011–2015.
regiment of the Hungarian Air Force. The 86th consists of one Transport and one Attack battalion
.
This is the transport helicopter battalion of the 86th Wing. They operate:
This is the attack helicopter battalion of the 86th Wing. This unit has recently been disbanded and a new regiment, in combination with the transport helicopters, will be formed. They operated:
This is the training squadron of the 86th Wing. This squadron is already based at Szolnok AFB again. They operate:
During the Cold War
period communist Hungary had numerous SA-2, SA-3 and SA-4 batteries and a large number of radar installations, mostly tasked with defending the Danube line against NATO air strikes.
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Photo
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In active service
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
|-----
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Fighter Aircraft
|-----
| Saab JAS 39 Gripen ||
|| || fighter
trainer || JAS 39C
JAS 39D || 12
2 || With completely new system software fit, known as Version 19.
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Transport
|-----
| | Boeing C-17 Globemaster III || || || NATO strategic transport || C-17A || 3|| Under NATO Strategic Airlift Capability
(SAC) program with Hungarian Air force marking and international staff.
|-----
| Antonov An-26
|| || || tactical transport || An-26 || 5 || to be replaced between 2011–2014, C-27J or second-hand C-130H.
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Trainer Aircraft
|-----
| Aero L-39 Albatros ||
|| || attack / trainer || L-39ZO || 8 || 12 new built and 20 former East German Air Force delivered.
|-----
| Aero L-159 Alca ||
|| || attack / trainer || L-159B || 2 || since 2003 (hired from the Czech Air Force)
|-----
| Yakovlev Yak-52 ||
|| || trainer || Yak-52 || 11 ||
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Training Helicopter
|-----
| Robinson R44
||
|| || training helicopter || R44 || 3 ||
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Transport and Attack Helicopters
|-----
| Mil Mi-17
|| || || transport helicopter || Mi-17N
MI-17P
Mi-8T || 2
5
2 || All Mi-17s upgraded. 2 Finnish Air Force Mi-8Ts were donated by Finland in August 2011.
|-----
| Mil Mi-8
||
|| || transport helicopter || Mi-8 || 8 || 10 more new helicopters will be ordered in 2011 to replace the Mi-8s. Some Mi-8s were sold to Ethiopia
and Peru
.
|-----
| Bell UH-1N Twin Huey ||
|| || light transport || UH-1N || 30|| From the USMC in the close future
|-----
| Mil Mi-24
||
|| || attack helicopter || Mi-24D
Mi-24V
Mi-24P || 12 ||Germany inherited 51 Mi-24 from GDR some sold to Hungary. All Mi-24V will be upgraded to Mi-35 after 2010. (NATO caliber development process )
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | UAV's
|-----
| Elbit Skylark
||
|| || UAV || Skylark I || 9 || Hand-launched "disposable" mini electric UAV for the Afghan theatre ground troops. One was shot down in combat in Afghanistan
.
|-----
There are also a number of Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
's, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23
's, Sukhoi Su-22's and MiG-29's in stock. These are being stored open air and no longer airworthy.
, which has the largest collection of "retired" military aircraft in Hungary. Some aircraft are also displayed at the Kecel Military History Park.
Military of Hungary
The Hungarian Defence Force is the national military of Hungary. It currently has two branches, the Hungarian Ground Force and the Hungarian Air Force....
.
1918 to Pre–World War II
Following the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in 1918, a small air arm was established operating surviving aircraft from Hungarian factories and training schools. This air arm became the Hungarian Red Air Force under the short lived Hungarian Soviet RepublicHungarian Soviet Republic
The Hungarian Soviet Republic or Soviet Republic of Hungary was a short-lived Communist state established in Hungary in the aftermath of World War I....
, but was disbanded upon its downfall. http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/hung/hungaf2.htm
World War II
Under the Treaty of TrianonTreaty of Trianon
The Treaty of Trianon was the peace agreement signed in 1920, at the end of World War I, between the Allies of World War I and Hungary . The treaty greatly redefined and reduced Hungary's borders. From its borders before World War I, it lost 72% of its territory, which was reduced from to...
(1920), Hungary was forbidden from owning military aircraft. However, a secret air arm was gradually established under the cover of civilian flying clubs. During 1938, the existence of the Royal Hungarian Air Force , was made known. The air arm was reorganized and expanded. On 1 January 1939, it became independent of the army. It subsequently participated in clashes with the newly established Slovak Republic and in the border confrontation with the Kingdom of Romania
Kingdom of Romania
The Kingdom of Romania was the Romanian state based on a form of parliamentary monarchy between 13 March 1881 and 30 December 1947, specified by the first three Constitutions of Romania...
. In April 1941, operations were conducted in support of the German invasion of Yugoslavia and, on 27 June 1941, Hungary declared war on the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. On 1 March 1942, the air force was returned to army control. In the summer of 1942, an air brigade was attached to the Luftwaffe's
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
VIII. Fliegerkorps
8th Air Corps (Germany)
VIII. FliegerkorpsFor more details see Luftwaffe Organization was formed 19 July 1939 in Oppeln as Fliegerführer z.b.V. The abbreviation z.b.V. is German and stands for zur besonderen Verwendung . Fliegerführer z.b.V was renamed to VIII. Fliegerkorps on 10 November 1939...
on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
. Beginning March 1944, Allied bomber raids began on Hungary and progressively increased in intensity. Late in 1944 all efforts were redirected towards countering the advancing Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
, but to no avail. All fighting in Hungary ended on 16 April 1945. http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/hung/hungaf2.htm
Post–World War II to Present
A small air arm was organised along Soviet lines during 1947. Following the communist takeover, Russian military aid was stepped-up and a major expansion program initiated. When Soviet forces invaded to suppress the 1956 Hungarian Revolution1956 Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian Revolution or Uprising of 1956 was a spontaneous nationwide revolt against the government of the People's Republic of Hungary and its Soviet-imposed policies, lasting from 23 October until 10 November 1956....
, sections of the Hungarian Air Force attacked Soviet forces and resisted Russian attempts to occupy their bases. The resistance was short-lived and the air force was demobilized
Demobilization
Demobilization is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and military force will not be necessary...
soon after. A reconstituted air arm was reformed in the following year, but initially only as an internal security force. Gradually, the air force was expanded again, but it remained an integral part of the army and was essentially a defensive force. The Soviets kept MIG 29s based at Tokol until 1991 to defend Hungarian airspace.
In mid-1993, three batches of the MIG 29s were delivered from Russia. They were based at Kecskemet. In 1994, a German gift of 20 MIL 24D/V's and 20 L-39's were donated. In 1997, Hungary undertook its first flying training course since 1956. The cost of the course was too high and was halted after the completion of only one course. Also in 1997 the MIG 23s and SU 22s were withdrawn from service. During the 1990s all combat aircraft were fitted with new Identification Friend or Foe (IFF)
Identification friend or foe
In telecommunications, identification, friend or foe is an identification system designed for command and control. It is a system that enables military and national interrogation systems to identify aircraft, vehicles, or forces as friendly and to determine their bearing and range from the...
systems to enable operations in Western airspace. In April 2002, Hungary joined the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC)
NATO Flying Training in Canada
NATO Flight Training in Canada is a military flight training program for NATO and allied air forces provided by the Canadian Forces.Located at 15 Wing, CFB Moose Jaw in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and 4 Wing, CFB Cold Lake, Alberta, the program is delivered as a cooperative operation between a...
pilot training program. http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/hung/hungaf2.htm
Present day
The current Hungarian Air Force is primarily just for defensive purposes. The flying units of the air force are organised into a single command, Air Command.Air Bases
There are 3 Air Force bases (AFB) in Hungary.- KecskemétKecskemétKecskemét is a city in the central part of Hungary. It is the 8th largest city of the country, and the county seat of Bács-Kiskun.Kecskemét lies halfway between the capital Budapest and the country's third-largest city, Szeged, 86 kilometres from both of them and almost equal distance from the two...
AFB - SzolnokSzolnokSzolnok is the county seat of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county in central Hungary. Its location on the banks of the Tisza river, at the heart of the Great Hungarian Plain, has made it an important cultural and economic crossroads for centuries....
AFB - PápaPápaPápa is a historical city in Veszprém county, Hungary, located close to the northern edge of the Bakony Hills, and noted for its baroque architecture. With its 33,000 inhabitants, it is the cultural, economic and tourism centre of the region....
AFB, 3 C-17 Globemaster aircraft to be based at Pápa as NATO flying unit with Hungarian marking and international crew
Air Wings
Currently, there are only 4 operational, and 1 recently disbanded, air wings in the Air Force.- 59th "Szentgyörgyi Dezső" Tactical Wing (59. " Szentgyörgyi Dezső" Harcászati Repülőbázis) based at Kecskemét AFB
- 'Puma' Tactical Squadron ('Puma' Harcászati Repülőszázad)
- 'Dongó' ('Bumblebee') Tactical Squadron ('Dongó' Harcászati Repülőszázad)
- Transport Plane Squadron (Szállító Repülőszázad)
- 86th "Szolnok" Helicopter Base (86. Helikopterezred) based at Szolnok AFB.
- Transport Helicopter Battalion (Szállitóhelikopter Zászlóalj)
- Attack Helicopter Battalion (Harcihelikopter Zászlóalj) (Disbanded)
- Training Plane Squadron (Kiképző Repülőszázad) (based at Szolnok AFB)
- 12th Air Defense Missile Regiment (12. Légvédelmi Rakétaezred)
- 1st Logistic and Support Battalion (1. Logisztikai és Támogató Zászlóalj)
- Pápa AFB
59. "Szentgyörgyi Dezső" Tactical Wing
Tactical Squadron
There are two Fighter Squadrons in the 59th Wing, the "Puma" [cougar] and "Dongó" [bumblebee] Squadrons. The 1st SQN operates the JAS-39 and the 2nd SQN operates the MiG-29. The 3rd squadron is the air-transport squadron with AN-26.
- JAS-39C GripensJAS 39 GripenThe Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a lightweight single-engine multirole fighter manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. It was designed to replace the Saab 35 Draken and 37 Viggen in the Swedish Air Force...
- JAS-39D GripensJAS 39 GripenThe Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a lightweight single-engine multirole fighter manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. It was designed to replace the Saab 35 Draken and 37 Viggen in the Swedish Air Force...
The Hungarian Air Force is leasing-buying 14 JAS 39 Gripen
JAS 39 Gripen
The Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a lightweight single-engine multirole fighter manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. It was designed to replace the Saab 35 Draken and 37 Viggen in the Swedish Air Force...
s, 2 of which are dual-seaters, for 12 years beginning in 2006. By December 2007 all the 14 jets had been delivered.
After the lease period expires, Hungary will own the Gripen.
Transport Squadron
This is the transport squadron of the 59th Wing. They operate:
- An-26Antonov An-26The Antonov An-26 is a twin-engined turboprop military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the USSR from 12 March 1968.-Development:...
86th "Szolnok" Helicopter Wing
The 86th Wing is the helicopterHelicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
regiment of the Hungarian Air Force. The 86th consists of one Transport and one Attack battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
.
Transport Helicopter Battalion
This is the transport helicopter battalion of the 86th Wing. They operate:
- Mi-8T/P/PSMil Mi-8The Mil Mi-8 is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter that can also act as a gunship. The Mi-8 is the world's most-produced helicopter, and is used by over 50 countries. Russia is the largest operator of the Mi-8/Mi-17 helicopter....
- Mi-17NMil Mi-17The Mil Mi-17 is a Russian helicopter currently in production at two factories in Kazan and Ulan-Ude...
Combat Helicopter Battalion
This is the attack helicopter battalion of the 86th Wing. This unit has recently been disbanded and a new regiment, in combination with the transport helicopters, will be formed. They operated:
- Mi-24D/V/PMil Mi-24The Mil Mi-24 is a large helicopter gunship and attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for 8 passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and operated since 1972 by the Soviet Air Force, its successors, and by over thirty other nations.In NATO circles the export...
Training Squadron
This is the training squadron of the 86th Wing. This squadron is already based at Szolnok AFB again. They operate:
12th Air Defense Missile Brigade
The 12th Air Defense Missile Brigade is in charge of providing air defense to parts of Hungary.- NIIP/Vympel 2K12 "Kub"SA-6 GainfulThe 2K12 "Kub" mobile surface-to-air missile system is a Soviet low to medium-level air defence system designed to protect ground forces from air attack. "2К12" is the GRAU designation of the system...
. Mobile Surface-to-air missileSurface-to-air missileA surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
battlefild (SAM) system. (To be refurbished with modernized BUK missiles or replaced entirely with the US Patriot system, provided the economic situation allows procurement.) - Mistral missileMistral missileMistral is an infrared homing surface-to-air missile manufactured by the European multinational company MBDA missile systems . Based on the French SATCP , the portable missile later to become the Mistral began development in 1974...
s, a French-made lightweight SAM system with dual launchers and radar sets mounted on UnimogUnimogUnimog is a range of multi-purpose auto four wheel drive medium trucks produced by Mercedes-Benz, a division of Daimler AG. The name Unimog is pronounced in German and is an acronym for the German "UNIversal-MOtor-Gerät", Gerät being the German word for machine or device...
all-terrain vehicles. - 36D6 Tin Shield. All-altitude surveillance radar, modernized with domestically developed digital electronics suite.
During the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
period communist Hungary had numerous SA-2, SA-3 and SA-4 batteries and a large number of radar installations, mostly tasked with defending the Danube line against NATO air strikes.
1st Logistic and Support Battalion
The 1st Logistic and Support Battalion was established on 1 October 2000 by the Hungarian Defence Forces (HDF). Its goal is to provide the operating conditions of the Air Force Command, as well as organizing and executing the related activities. Conducting garrison duties, executing a partially independent financial management, and supplying the designated military organization. Procuring, storing, handling and maintaining the material stocks of the HDF Air Force Command and the Regiment, and preparing the subordinate units by establishing the basis for higher readiness level. http://www.honvedelem.hu/army/legiero/mh_1._logisztikai_es_tamogato_zaszloaljPápa AFB
Pápa Air Force Base was established as a military organization on 1 July 2001 as a part of national commitments in the NATO Infrastructural Development Program, and it is the legal successor of the HDF 47th Pápa Tactical Fighter Regiment.Aircraft Inventory
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Photo
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In active service
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
|-----
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Fighter Aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
|-----
| Saab JAS 39 Gripen ||
|| || fightertrainer || JAS 39C
JAS 39D || 12
2 || With completely new system software fit, known as Version 19.
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Transport
Airlift
Airlift is the act of transporting people or cargo from point to point using aircraft.Airlift may also refer to:*Airlift , a suction device for moving sand and silt underwater-See also:...
|-----
| | Boeing C-17 Globemaster III || || || NATO strategic transport || C-17A || 3|| Under NATO Strategic Airlift Capability
NATO Strategic Airlift Capability
The Strategic Airlift Capability is a consortium of 12 nations, 10 of which are member states of NATO and two of which are Partners For Peace, to pool together resources to purchase and operate Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft for joint strategic airlift purposes.The SAC concept was...
(SAC) program with Hungarian Air force marking and international staff.
|-----
| Antonov An-26
Antonov An-26
The Antonov An-26 is a twin-engined turboprop military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the USSR from 12 March 1968.-Development:...
|| || || tactical transport || An-26 || 5 || to be replaced between 2011–2014, C-27J or second-hand C-130H.
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Trainer Aircraft
Trainer (aircraft)
A trainer is a class of aircraft designed specifically to facilitate in-flight training of pilots and aircrews. The use of a dedicated trainer aircraft with additional safety features—such as tandem flight controls, forgiving flight characteristics and a simplified cockpit arrangement—allows...
|-----
| Aero L-39 Albatros ||
|| || attack / trainer || L-39ZO || 8 || 12 new built and 20 former East German Air Force delivered.|-----
| Aero L-159 Alca ||
|| || attack / trainer || L-159B || 2 || since 2003 (hired from the Czech Air Force)|-----
| Yakovlev Yak-52 ||
|| || trainer || Yak-52 || 11 |||-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Training Helicopter
Training
The term training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of...
|-----
| Robinson R44
Robinson R44
|-See also:-External links:* * * * * *...
||
|| || training helicopter || R44 || 3 |||-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Transport and Attack Helicopters
|-----
| Mil Mi-17
Mil Mi-17
The Mil Mi-17 is a Russian helicopter currently in production at two factories in Kazan and Ulan-Ude...
|| || || transport helicopter || Mi-17N
MI-17P
Mi-8T || 2
5
2 || All Mi-17s upgraded. 2 Finnish Air Force Mi-8Ts were donated by Finland in August 2011.
|-----
| Mil Mi-8
Mil Mi-8
The Mil Mi-8 is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter that can also act as a gunship. The Mi-8 is the world's most-produced helicopter, and is used by over 50 countries. Russia is the largest operator of the Mi-8/Mi-17 helicopter....
||
|| || transport helicopter || Mi-8 || 8 || 10 more new helicopters will be ordered in 2011 to replace the Mi-8s. Some Mi-8s were sold to EthiopiaEthiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
and Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
.
|-----
| Bell UH-1N Twin Huey ||
|| || light transport || UH-1N || 30|| From the USMC in the close future|-----
| Mil Mi-24
Mil Mi-24
The Mil Mi-24 is a large helicopter gunship and attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for 8 passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and operated since 1972 by the Soviet Air Force, its successors, and by over thirty other nations.In NATO circles the export...
||
|| || attack helicopter || Mi-24DMi-24V
Mi-24P || 12 ||Germany inherited 51 Mi-24 from GDR some sold to Hungary. All Mi-24V will be upgraded to Mi-35 after 2010. (NATO caliber development process )
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | UAV's
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
|-----
| Elbit Skylark
Elbit Skylark
Elbit Systems Skylark I and Skylark II are small unmanned aerial vehicles developed by Elbit Systems.-Skylark I:Skylark I is a miniature unmanned aerial vehicle. It is designed as a manpacked system for tactical surveillance and reconnaissance. Skylark is launched by hand. The payload consists of...
||
|| || UAV || Skylark I || 9 || Hand-launched "disposable" mini electric UAV for the Afghan theatre ground troops. One was shot down in combat in AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
|-----
There are also a number of Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument or ołówek by Polish pilots due to...
's, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 is a variable-geometry fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau in the Soviet Union. It is considered to belong to the Soviet third generation jet fighter category, along with similarly aged Soviet fighters such as the MiG-25 "Foxbat"...
's, Sukhoi Su-22's and MiG-29's in stock. These are being stored open air and no longer airworthy.
Aircraft markings
The Hungarian aircraft marking is a set of aligned triangles which points toward the front of the aircraft. They are the same colour as the Hungarian flag, red, white, and green. The innermost triangle is green, follow by white, and then red. It is displayed on the side of helicopters and in the standard four wing positions on aircraft. It was used by the Royal Hungarian Air Force until 1942, and then reinstated after the Second World War. The new Gripen fighters will wear a NATO standard compliant grey-on-grey (low-visibility) version of the Hungarian triangle insignia.Museums
The 86th "Szolnok" Helikopterezred maintains the Museum of Hungarian AviationMuseum of Hungarian Aviation
The Museum of Hungarian Aviation is a large museum displaying old military and civilian aircraft and aircraft engines in Szolnok, Hungary. It is located next to the "Lt. Ittebei Kiss József" Helicopter Base of the Hungarian Air Force. The museum started out as the aircraft and technical...
, which has the largest collection of "retired" military aircraft in Hungary. Some aircraft are also displayed at the Kecel Military History Park.
External links
- History of the Insignia of the Hungarian Air Force
- Hungary – Air Force
- http://www.hunaf.hu/
- http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/hung/hungaf2.htm
- http://www.honvedelem.hu/army/legiero