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Hungarian Air Force
Hungarian Air Force
	; Hungarian Air Force logo
Active	1918 -
Country	Hungary
Insignia
Roundel
Low visibility roundel
Aircraft flown
Attack	L-39, Mi-24
Fighter	MiG-29, JAS-39 (Multirole fighter)
Trainer	Yak-52, L-39
Transport	An-26, Mi-8, Mi-17

The Hungarian Air Force (Hungarian: Magyar Légierő) is the air force branch of the Hungarian Army.

[edit] History

[edit] 1918 - 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 Republic, but was disbanded upon its downfall. [1]

[edit] World War II

Under the Treaty of Trianon (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 air force (Légierő) was made known. The air arm was reorganized and expanded. On January 1, 1939, it became independent of the army. It subsequently participated in clashes with the newly established Slovak Republic and in the border confrontation with Romania. In April 1941, operations were conducted in support of the German invasion of Yugoslavia and, on June 27, 1941, Hungary declared war on the Soviet Union. On March 1, 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 Soviet Army, but to no avail. All fighting in Hungary ended on April 16, 1945. [2]

[edit] Post-World War II - 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 in November 1956 to suppress the national uprising, 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. 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. [3]

[edit] 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.

[edit] Air Bases

There are 2 active Air Force bases (AFB) and 4 Reserve AFB in Hungary.

[edit] Active

Kecskemét AFB
Szolnok AFB

[edit] Reserve

Pápa AFB, 3 C-17 Globemaster aircraft to be based at Pápa as NATO flying unit with Hungarian marking and international crew, from July 2009
Taszár AFB, a former fighter base
Tököl AFB, a former aircraft repairing facility and airport
Szentkirályszabadja AFB, a former helicopter base

[edit] Air Wings

Currently, there are only 4 operational, and 1 recently disbanded, air wings in the Air Force.

59. "Szentgyörgyi Dezső" Harcászati Repülőbázis (59th Tactical Plane Base) based at Kecskemét AFB
- 'Puma' Harcászati Repülőszázad ('Puma' Tactical Squadron)
- 'Dongó' Harcászati Repülőszázad ('Bumblebee' Tactical Squadron)
- Szállító Repülőszázad (Transport Plane Squadron)
86. "Szolnok" Helikopterezred (86th Helicopter Regiment) based at Szolnok AFB.
- Szállitóhelikopter Zászlóalj (Transport Helicopter Battalion)
- Harcihelikopter Zászlóalj (Attack Helicopter Battalion) (DISBANDED)
- Kiképző Repülőszázad (Training Plane Squadron) (based at Szolnok AFB)
12. Légvédelmi Rakétadandár (12th Air Defense Missile Brigade)
1. Logisztikai és Támogató Zászlóalj (1st Logistic and Support Battalion)
Pápa AFB

[edit] 59. "Szentgyörgyi Dezső" Harcászati Repülőbázis

MiG-29B of the Hungarian Air Force

JAS 39 of the Hungarian Air Force

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.

[edit] Harcászati Repülőszázad

There are two Fighter Squadrons in the 59th Wing, the "Puma" and "Dongó" [wasp] Squadrons. The 1st SQN operates the JAS-39 and the 2nd SQN operates the MiG-29 and L-39. The 3rd squadron is the air-transport squadron with AN-26.

The Hungarian Air Force is leasing-buying 14 JAS 39 Gripens, 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 Hungary will own the Gripens.

[edit] Szállitó Repülőszázad

This is the transport squadron of the 59th Wing. They operate:

An-26

Hungarian Air Force Saab JAS39D Gripen at RIAT 2009

The An-26s are due to be replaced by new transport planes by 2010.

[edit] 86. "Szolnok" Helikopterbázis

The 86th Wing is the helicopter regiment of the Hungarian Air Force. The 86th consists of one Transport and one Attack battalion.

[edit] Szállitóhelikopter Zászlóalj

This is the transport helicopter battalion of the 86th Wing. They operate:

[edit] Harcihelikopter Zászlóalj

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/P

[edit] Kiképző Repülőszázad

This is the training squadron of the 86th Wing. This squadron is already based at Szolnok AFB again. They operate:

Yak-52

[edit] 12. Légvédelmi Rakétadandár

The 12th Air Defense Missile Brigade is in charge of providing air defense to parts of Hungary.

NIIP/Vympel 2K12 "Kub". Mobile Surface-to-air missile 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 missiles, a French-made lightweight SAM system with dual launchers and radar sets mounted on Unimog all-terrain vehicles.
36D6 Tin Shield. All-altitude surveillance radar, modernized with domestically developed digital electronics suite.

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 "imperialist" air strikes.

[edit] 1. Logisztikai és Támogató Zászlóalj

The 1st Logistic and Support Battalion was established on October 1, 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. [4]

[edit] Pápa AFB

Pápa Air Force Base was established as a military organization on July 1, 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.

[edit] Aircraft Inventory

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In active service^[1]	Notes
Transport
Antonov An-26	Soviet Union	tactical transport	An-26	5	All of them are modernized.
Fighter Aircraft
Saab JAS 39 Gripen	Sweden	fighter trainer	JAS 39C JAS 39D	12 2
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29	Soviet Union	fighter trainer	MiG-29 MiG-29UB	28
Transport and Attack Helicopters
Mil Mi-8	Soviet Union	transport helicopter	Mi-8 Mi-17N	16 7	All Mi-17s upgraded, 10 more new transport helicopters will be ordered in 2011 to replace the Mi-8s.
Mil Mi-24	Soviet Union	attack helicopter	Mi-24D Mi-24V Mi-24P	20 29 2	All Mi-24V will be upgraded to Mi-35 after 2010.
Trainer Aircraft
Aero L-39 Albatros	Czechoslovakia	trainer	L-39ZA	8	originally there were 19 in service, to be replaced by L-159 ALCAs in 2010 January.
Yakovlev Yak-52	Soviet Union	trainer	Yak-52	11
UAV's
Elbit Skylark	Israel	UAV	Skylark I	9	Hand-launched "disposable" mini electric UAV for the Afghan theatre ground troops.
WB Electronics SOFAR	Poland	UAV	SOFAR	2	Order cancelled due to unsolved EM interference problems, replaced by the Skylark I.

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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] Museums

The 86^th "Szolnok" Helikopterezred maintains the Museum of Hungarian Aviation, which has the largest collection of "retired" Airforce craft. Some aircraft are also displayed at the Kecel Military History Park.

[edit] Gallery

[edit] Roundels

First roundel of the Hungarian Red Air Force in 1919.	Second roundel of the Hungarian Red Air Force in 1919.	Third roundel of the Hungarian Red Air Force in 1919.	Roundel of the Royal Hungarian Air Force between 1938 - 1941.
Roundel of the Royal Hungarian Air Force between 1942 - 1945.	Roundel of the Air Force of the Hungarian People's Army between 1948 - 1949.	Roundel of the Air Force of the Hungarian People's Army between 1949 - 1951.	Roundel of the Air Force of the Hungarian People's Army between 1951 - 1990.
Roundel of the Hungarian Air Force between 1990 - 1991.	Roundel of the Hungarian Air Force from 1991.	Roundel of the Hungarian Air Force, low visibility version.