Hungarian Air Force

Order of Battle · Hungary

Hungarian Air Force

Magyar Légierő · Magyar Honvédség Légierő Parancsnokság

The Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Légierő) grew from an air arm hidden inside flying clubs after the Treaty of Trianon into the Royal Hungarian Air Force of 1938–1945, was rebuilt on Soviet lines and disarmed by the Soviet army in 1956, flew MiG-21s and MiG-29s into NATO, and since 2006 has defended Hungary with a small Gripen force that reached 18 aircraft in June 2026 — and lost one near Szolnok two months later.

National markingNested chevrons pointing towards the nose: red outside, then white, with green at the centre
Low-visibilityThe triangle marking in grey on grey, as worn by the Gripens
15Combat aircraft
3Active air bases
1938Founded
21Types retired
Photo: Andrej-airliner / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
CountryHungaryFounded1938StatusActiveHeadquartersVeszprémCommanderFerenc Könczöl
The story

The Hungarian Air Force story: an air arm in disguise, a service disarmed in 1956 and a Gripen force in NATO

1914–1938: Austro-Hungarian roots and an air force in disguise

Hungarian military flying began inside the Austro-Hungarian army, and the Hungarian Air Force dates its lineage to 1914. When the Monarchy fell apart in 1918 a small Hungarian air arm was formed from surviving aircraft, factories and schools; under the Hungarian Soviet Republic of 1919 it became a Red Air Force and was disbanded when that regime fell. The Treaty of Trianon of 1920 then forbade Hungary military aircraft, and the answer was concealment: according to the service’s own history and Wikipedia’s account, a secret air arm was built up under the cover of civilian flying clubs and state aviation offices. Only after the Bled agreement of August 1938 was it acknowledged. The Air Force Command’s official page dates the Royal Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Királyi Honvéd Légierő) to 28 December 1938 and its independence as a service to 1 January 1939; Wikipedia gives 9 January 1939 for the order that made army aviation independent.

1938–1945: the Royal Hungarian Air Force at war

The new service went to war almost at once. In the Slovak–Hungarian War of 23–31 March 1939 its Fiat CR.32 fighters and Ju 86K-2 bombers fought the Slovak air arm; Wikipedia’s account records that its only loss was a Fiat shot down by Hungarian artillery. It supported the German invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, and after unidentified aircraft bombed Kassa (Košice) on 26 June 1941 — the attacker has never been established — Hungary declared war on the Soviet Union on 27 June, and at dawn that day its aircraft bombed Stanislav. A Hungarian air brigade flew with the Luftwaffe’s VIII Fliegerkorps on the Eastern Front from 1942, first with Italian-derived Re.2000 Héja fighters and then with Messerschmitts. At home the industry built Bf 109Gs at Győr (633 by the German production table) and 267 Me 210Ca-1s at the Danube Aircraft Factory. From 1944 the 101st ‘Puma’ fighter group defended Budapest against American bombers and later Soviet fighters; its ace Dezső Szentgyörgyi is credited with 30 victories. Fighting in Hungary ended on 16 April 1945.

1947–1990: Soviet lines, 1956 and the MiG-21 decades

A small air arm was organised on Soviet lines from 1947, and by 1956 it had fighter divisions at Taszár and Kecskemét, a bomber division at Kunmadaras and a ground-attack division at Székesfehérvár, flying Yak-9s, Il-10s, Tu-2s, Il-28s and MiG-15s. The revolution of October 1956 split it. Wikipedia’s article on the revolution records that on 26 October, on the order of an army commander, fighters fired on demonstrators near Kecskemét, while other air force units resisted Soviet attempts to take their bases; Marshal Zhukov reported the whole Hungarian air force disarmed between 4 and 9 November. It was reformed on 1 April 1957 with one mixed squadron each at Pápa, Taszár and Kecskemét. MiG-21s arrived in 1961 and stayed 40 years; by the 1980s three fighter regiments had about 100 supersonic jets, with Su-22s from 1983 and MiG-23s alongside them. Mi-24 gunships reached Szentkirályszabadja on 26 July 1978. It was a real air force, but a Warsaw Pact one: the MiG-23’s major-mishap rate in Hungarian service is quoted at 24.3 per 100,000 hours, twice the Soviet figure.

1993–2010: MiG-29s for a debt, and a service shrunk to the bone

After 1990 the money went. In 1993 Russia settled part of a state debt by delivering 28 MiG-29s, flown from Kecskemét; Germany gave 20 Mi-24D/Vs in 1995, and Hungary bought 12 Yak-52 trainers from Romania and received 24 L-39s for the first pilot course since 1956, which stopped after one intake because of cost. The MiG-23s and Su-22s went in 1996–1997, the last MiG-21bis in 2001, and from 2002 Hungarian pilots trained in Canada. The 28 MiG-29s were a windfall that the budget could not keep flying: the last was retired in December 2010 and eight were offered for sale in 2011. The good side of the 1990s was NATO membership in 1999 and a clean break with Soviet doctrine; the bad side was a fleet that shrank faster than it was replaced, and a training pipeline that nearly disappeared.

2006–2026: Gripens, C-17s and the Zrínyi rebuild

On 10 September 2001 Hungary chose the Swedish Gripen, and in December 2001 it signed with Sweden’s FMV; an amendment on 3 February 2003 turned the deal into a lease of 14 NATO-compatible JAS 39C/Ds with air refuelling probes and English-language cockpits, and all 14 were at Kecskemét by December 2007. The lease was later extended to 2026. The fleet has had bad days: on 19 May 2015 a two-seater overran the runway at Čáslav in the Czech Republic, the Hungarian Defence Forces’ investigation blaming the pilot, and on 10 June 2015 a single-seater belly-landed at Kecskemét, its pilot injured on ejection. Hungary also hosts NATO’s Heavy Airlift Wing at Pápa, whose three C-17s, bought by 12 nations under the Strategic Airlift Capability agreement of 23 September 2008, wear Hungarian markings. From 2016 the Zrínyi 2026 programme brought 20 H145M and 16 H225M helicopters, two A319s, two Falcon 7Xs, two KC-390s and 12 L-39 Skyfox trainers.

What has changed, and what is still missing

The Gripen deal was renewed in January 2024, announced on 23 February 2024 as Swedish accession to NATO awaited Hungarian ratification: four more Gripen Cs, bought rather than leased, and support beyond 2035. The first two landed at Kecskemét on 30 April 2026 and the last two on 24 June, giving 16 Gripen Cs and two Ds. Two months later, on 24 August 2026, a Gripen on training near Szolnok crashed on military land after its pilot ejected; he was operated on at the Military Hospital and went home within days, and the flight recorder went to Sweden. The Mi-24’s calendar life ran out on 5 February 2026 and the Mi-24 and Mi-17 were formally retired on 17 June 2026, leaving an all-Western fleet. What remains thin is mass: a former air force commander argued in 2025 that 14 fighters were not enough and that studies pointed to two squadrons of 24; 17 Gripens after the crash is still one squadron, with no successor decided.

The new service went to war almost at once. In the Slovak–Hungarian War of 23–31 March 1939 its Fiat CR.32 fighters and Ju 86K-2 bombers fought the Slovak air arm; Wikipedia’s account records that its only loss was a Fiat shot down by Hungarian artillery.Hungarian Air Force · verified 2026-09-29
At a glance

The Hungarian Air Force in numbers

Service

Native name
Magyar LégierőThe command is officially Magyar Honvédség Légierő Parancsnokság (Hungarian Defence Forces Air Force Command) on honvedelem.hu; the ministry’s own articles also use Magyar Légierő. Hungarian is the only official language
Founded
28 December 1938Royal Hungarian Air Force established 28 December 1938 and independent from 1 January 1939 per the Air Force Command page; Wikipedia gives 9 January 1939 for the independence order and dates the lineage to 1914. The present Air Force Command was re-established on 1 November 2022
Part of
Hungarian Defence ForcesDirectly subordinate to the Chief of Defence Staff, General Zsolt Sándor, since the command was re-established in 2022
Headquarters
Veszprém8200 Veszprém, Jókai Mór utca 31–33; the Air Operations Command and Control Centre is also at Veszprém
Commander
Col. Ferenc Könczöl (acting)Per the official unit page in September 2026; Brig. Gen. Dr Tamás Bali was named deputy commander in August 2026. The date of appointment was not found
Minister of Defence
Dr Romulusz Ruszin-SzendiIn Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s government; he went to the Szolnok crash site on 24 August 2026. His predecessor Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky received the second KC-390 in November 2025

Strength

Personnel
About 5,750Wikipedia’s figure for active air force personnel; not confirmed on an official page. The whole Hungarian Defence Forces has about 41,600 active personnel per Wikipedia
Combat aircraft
  • JAS 39C/D Gripen — 17 (15 C, 2 D) after the 24 August 2026 loss

Saab counted 18 (16 C, 2 D) after the last delivery on 24 June 2026. Euronews still reported 14 on the day of the crash, the pre-2026 figure

Transport
  • KC-390 Millennium — 2
  • Airbus A319 — 2
  • Dassault Falcon 7X — 2
  • C-17 Globemaster III — 3 (NATO Heavy Airlift Wing, multinational)

KC-390s 610 and 611 arrived in autumn 2024 and on 21 November 2025. The C-17s belong to the 12-nation Strategic Airlift Capability but are registered in Hungary

Helicopters
  • Airbus H145M — 20 ordered (19 per Wikipedia)
  • Airbus H225M — 16
  • Airbus H125 — 2 (training)

Ordered in 2018; the minister called the helicopter fleet complete in November 2025. Mi-24 and Mi-17 retired in 2026

Trainers
  • L-39NG Skyfox — at least 6 delivered of 12
  • Zlín Z-242L — 6
  • Zlín Z-143LSi — 2

Three Skyfox handed over on 30 May 2025 and three more in November 2025; completion expected by 2028

Defence budget
HUF 1,752.3 billion (2025)About 2 per cent of GDP (HUF 1,939.3 billion including military education and sport), per an Oeconomus analysis reported by Hungary Today. Wikipedia gives US$5.23 billion (2.14 per cent) for 2024. A 2026 figure was not confirmed

Infrastructure

Flying bases
  • Kecskemét — 59th Szentgyörgyi Dezső Air Wing (the 101st Aviation Brigade 2023–2026): Gripen, transports, trainers
  • Szolnok — 86th Helicopter Brigade: H145M, H225M
  • Pápa — Pápa Air Base (the 47th Air Base 2023–2026), NATO Heavy Airlift Wing C-17s

The three flying units named on the Air Force Command page, plus the 205th Air Defence Missile Regiment at Győr; the Kecskemét and Pápa units took back their earlier names on 1 September 2026

Ground-based air defence
NASAMS205th ‘Dánielfy Tibor’ Air Defence Missile Regiment, Győr; NASAMS ordered in 2020 with 11 ELM-2084 radars, plus Mistral
Quick reaction alert
Gripens at KecskemétThe crashed aircraft was flying readiness training; the ministry said Gripens were scrambled twice without incident after the post-crash flying ban was lifted
Closed jet bases
  • Taszár — MiG-21 regiment
  • Szentkirályszabadja — first Mi-24s, 1978
  • Kunmadaras — bomber division, 1956

Base details are in the stations dataset

NATO air policing
Baltic rotations 2015, 2019, 2022, 2025Four Gripen Cs each time from Šiauliai, Lithuania
Structure

How the Hungarian Air Force is organised

One command at Veszprém over three flying units and an air defence regiment. Every Hungarian fighter and transport flies from Kecskemét and the helicopters from Szolnok, while Pápa hosts NATO’s multinational C-17 wing. All three flying units changed their names on 1 September 2026, most of them back to older ones.

FK

Colonel (ezredes)Ferenc KönczölActing commander, Hungarian Defence Forces Air Force Command (megbízott parancsnok)
Air Force CommandMagyar Honvédség Légierő Parancsnokság
Headquarters

Air Force Command

Magyar Honvédség Légierő Parancsnokság
Veszprém

Re-established on 1 November 2022 directly under the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Zsolt Sándor. In September 2026 the official unit page named Col. Ferenc Könczöl as acting commander; the Air Operations Command and Control Centre is also at Veszprém.

Front line

59th Szentgyörgyi Dezső Air Wing

MH 59. Szentgyörgyi Dezső Repülődandár
Kecskemét

Every Hungarian fighter: the Tactical Fighter Squadron’s 17 Gripens, on continuous alert, alongside the Transport Squadron’s KC-390s, A319s and Falcon 7Xs and the L-39NG Skyfox trainers. Known from 2023 until 1 September 2026 as the 101st.

Helicopters

86th Szolnok Helicopter Brigade

MH 86. Szolnok Helikopterdandár
Szolnok

Hungary’s combat, transport and rescue helicopters: 16 H225Ms and 19–20 H145Ms delivered between 2019 and 2025, including those of the Special Air Operations Squadron. The Mi-24 and Mi-17 were retired here on 17 June 2026.

Airlift host

Pápa Air Base

MH Pápa Bázisrepülőtér
Pápa

Host to NATO’s Heavy Airlift Wing, whose three C-17s are owned by 12 nations under the Strategic Airlift Capability but carry Hungarian registrations and markings. The base also provides search and rescue for western Hungary.

Air defence

205th Dánielfy Tibor Air Defence Missile Regiment

Győr

The ground-based air defence: NASAMS, ordered in 2020 with 11 ELM-2084 radars, and Mistral.

In service

What the Hungarian Air Force flies today

Every type on charge, linked to its Book of Beasts page where one exists. Counts are aircraft on the books, not aircraft available on a given day.

Type Role In service Since Units Notes
Saab JAS 39C GripenIn service Multirole fighter 15 2006 16 Gripen C after the last two new aircraft arrived on 24 June 2026 (12 leased from 2006, 4 bought under the 2024 amendment); one lost near Szolnok on 24 August 2026.

More

The variant of the crashed aircraft is not stated by the ministry; Wikipedia records it as a C.
Saab JAS 39D GripenIn service Two-seat conversion trainer and fighter 2 2006 Two per Saab in June 2026. The two-seater No. 42 was heavily damaged at Čáslav on 19 May 2015; whether it was rebuilt or replaced was not confirmed.
Embraer KC-390 MillenniumIn service Tanker and tactical transport 2 2024 Two: 610 arrived in autumn 2024, 611 on 21 November 2025.
Airbus A319In service Government and troop transport 2 Two, former Air Berlin aircraft per Wikipedia.
Dassault Falcon 7XIn service VIP transport 2 Two per Wikipedia.
Boeing C-17A Globemaster III (NATO Heavy Airlift Wing)In service Strategic transport 3 2009 Three, owned by the 12-nation Strategic Airlift Capability, registered SAC 01–03 in Hungary.
Airbus Helicopters H145MIn service Light utility and armed helicopter 19 20 ordered in 2018; Wikipedia lists 19 in service (the reason for the difference was not confirmed).
Airbus Helicopters H225M CaracalIn service Transport and combat search and rescue helicopter 16 16 ordered in 2018.
Airbus Helicopters H125In service Helicopter trainer 2 Two per Wikipedia.
Aero L-39NG SkyfoxIn service Jet trainer and light attack 6 2025 At least six delivered: three on 30 May 2025 and three more in November 2025. 12 ordered on 17 April 2022 (eight trainers, four reconnaissance); completion expected by 2028.
Zlín Z-242LIn service Basic trainer 6 Six per Wikipedia.
Zlín Z-143LSiIn service Basic trainer 2 Two per Wikipedia.
H145M19
H225M16
Gripen C15
L-39NG6
Z-2426
C-173
Gripen D2
KC-3902

On order

Type Ordered First delivery Notes
Aero L-39NG SkyfoxOn order 6 2025 12 ordered on 17 April 2022; at least six delivered by November 2025, completion expected by 2028. The exact number still to come in September 2026 was not confirmed.
Formerly operated

Every type the Hungarian Air Force has retired

21 types, from the Reggiane Re.2000 and MÁVAG Héja I/II to the Mil Mi-24D/V/P. Peak figures are airframes taken on charge over the whole service life, not fleet strength on any one date.

Type Role Peak Served Replaced by Notes
Mil Mi-24D/V/P Attack helicopter 1978–2026 H145M 46 of various sub-types operated in all, per the 86th Brigade history reported by Világgazdaság; peak strength 39 in the 1980s per the ministry; 20 Mi-24D/V came from Germany in 1995.
Mil Mi-17 Transport helicopter 7 1987–2026 H225M Seven acquired per the ministry.
Antonov An-26 Tactical transport KC-390
Mikoyan MiG-29 (9.12A) and MiG-29UB (9.51) Air superiority fighter 28 1993–2010 Gripen 28, delivered in 1993 as payment in kind for Russian state debt.
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21F-13, PF, MF, bis, U and UM Fighter 1961–2001 MiG-29, Gripen Several hundred across all variants; totals by source are not reconcilable.

More

Wikipedia’s operator list gives 12 F-13 in 1961 and 68 more, 24 PF (1964–65), 50 MF (1971–74), 39 bis-A and 24 bis-B from 1977, and 12 plus 6 MiG-21U and 27 UM trainers.
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 Fighter
Sukhoi Su-22M3 and Su-22UM3 Fighter-bomber 15 1983–1997 12 Su-22M3 and three Su-22UM3.
Messerschmitt Bf 109D, E, F and G Fighter About 609 per Wikipedia: 3 D-1, 50 E-3/E-4, 66 F-4 and about 490 G-2 to G-14. The Győr works built 633 Bf 109Gs in 1942–1945 per the German production table, part of them for the Luftwaffe.
Messerschmitt Me 210Ca-1 Heavy fighter and fast bomber 1943–1945 159–179 in Hungarian service. The Danube Aircraft Factory built 267, of which 108 went to the Luftwaffe and 159 to Hungary; the same article also says Hungary operated 179.
Reggiane Re.2000 and MÁVAG Héja I/II Fighter 1940–1945 Bf 109 70 imported from Italy plus 170–204 Héja II built by MÁVAG, depending on the source.
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 Fighter
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 Fighter
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 Fighter
Ilyushin Il-28 Bomber
Ilyushin Il-10 Ground-attack aircraft
Tupolev Tu-2 Bomber
Yakovlev Yak-9 Fighter
Yakovlev Yak-52 Primary trainer 12 1993– 12 bought from Romania in 1993.
Aero L-39ZO Albatros Jet trainer 24 1993– L-39NG 24 donated, per Wikipedia.
Fiat CR.32 Fighter
Junkers Ju 86K-2 Bomber
Air bases

Where the Hungarian Air Force flies from

Black pins are active bases, hollow pins the ones that have closed. Only three airfields are still in military use; of the seven that have closed, five had Soviet units that left in 1990–1991, and Taszár was NATO’s first base in the former Warsaw Pact. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.

Active air base Closed or reserveClick a pin to open the base page
Base ICAO Status Runway Units and aircraft
KecskemétBács-Kiskun County (Bács-Kiskun vármegye) LHKE Active 12/302,499 mconcrete
  • Tactical Fighter Squadron (Harcászati Repülőszázad): JAS 39C/D Gripen
  • Tactical Training Squadron (Harcászati Kiképző Repülőszázad): Aero L-39NG Skyfox
  • Transport Squadron (Szállítórepülő-század): Embraer KC-390 Millennium (2), Airbus A319, Dassault Falcon 7X
  • 59th Tactical Air Regiment (MiG-29 squadrons): MiG-29 and MiG-29UB
  • 62nd and 59th Fighter Regiments (MiG-15 to MiG-21): MiG-15, MiG-21 and MiG-21U, MiG-21MF
PápaVeszprém County (Veszprém vármegye) LHPA Active 16/342,399 mconcrete
  • Heavy Airlift Wing (Strategic Airlift Capability): Boeing C-17A Globemaster III (3)
  • 47th Fighter Regiment, from 1992 47th Pápa Tactical Air Regiment: MiG-21F, MiG-21MF, MiG-21bis, MiG-23MF and MiG-23UB
SzolnokJász-Nagykun-Szolnok County (Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok vármegye) LHSN Active 02/202,000 m
  • 86th Helicopter Brigade, transport helicopter battalion (“Rubik”): Airbus H225M Caracal (16)
  • 86th Helicopter Brigade, H145M fleet: Airbus H145M (19–20)
  • Special Air Operations Squadron: Airbus H145M, Airbus H225M
  • Fixed-wing training element: Zlín
  • 86th Helicopter Brigade, Mi-24 and Mi-17 squadrons: Mi-24V/P, Mi-17
  • 89th Mixed Transport Aviation Regiment: Mi-8, Antonov An-26
  • Kilián György aviation officer school (flying training)
TaszárSomogy County (Somogy vármegye) LHTA Closed 2005 16/342,500 mconcrete
SzentkirályszabadjaVeszprém County (Veszprém vármegye) Closed 2004
TökölPest County (Pest vármegye) Closed 2001
  • Dunai Repülőgépgyár (Danube Aircraft Works) factory airfield: Messerschmitt Bf 109, Messerschmitt Me 210
  • Hungarian fighter regiments (24th and 25th): MiG-15, Yak-18
  • 93rd Mixed Aviation Squadron: Antonov An-26
KiskunlacházaPest County (Pest vármegye) Closed 1991
KunmadarasJász-Nagykun-Szolnok County (Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok vármegye) Closed 1991
DebrecenHajdú-Bihar County (Hajdú-Bihar vármegye) LHDC Closed 1990 04R/22L2,500 mconcrete
SármellékHévíz-Balaton AirportZala County (Zala vármegye) LHSM Closed 1990 16/342,500 mconcrete

No air base matches that search.

Order of battle

Who is stationed where in the Hungarian Air Force

Flying units by base, current units first. Hungarian units have changed their names many times; since 1 September 2026 the Kecskemét wing is again the 59th, named after Dezső Szentgyörgyi, the country’s top-scoring ace. The C-17s at Pápa belong to a 12-nation programme, and the entry says so.

Kecskemét Air Base · LHKEMH 59. Szentgyörgyi Dezső Repülődandár
Tactical Fighter Squadron (Harcászati Repülőszázad)Fighter squadron · active
JAS 39C/D Gripen
Tactical Training Squadron (Harcászati Kiképző Repülőszázad)Tactical training squadron · active
Aero L-39NG Skyfox
Transport Squadron (Szállítórepülő-század)Air transport squadron · active
Embraer KC-390 Millennium (2), Airbus A319, Dassault Falcon 7X
59th Tactical Air Regiment (MiG-29 squadrons)1993–2010
MiG-29 and MiG-29UB
62nd and 59th Fighter Regiments (MiG-15 to MiG-21)1952–1994
MiG-15, MiG-21 and MiG-21U, MiG-21MF
Pápa Air Base · LHPAMH Pápa Bázisrepülőtér
Heavy Airlift Wing (Strategic Airlift Capability)Multinational strategic airlift wing · active
Boeing C-17A Globemaster III (3)
47th Fighter Regiment, from 1992 47th Pápa Tactical Air Regiment1961–2001
MiG-21F, MiG-21MF, MiG-21bis, MiG-23MF and MiG-23UB
Szolnok Air Base · LHSNMH 86. Szolnok Helikopterdandár
86th Helicopter Brigade, transport helicopter battalion (“Rubik”)Transport helicopter unit · active
Airbus H225M Caracal (16)
86th Helicopter Brigade, H145M fleetLight utility and armed helicopter unit · active
Airbus H145M (19–20)
Special Air Operations SquadronSpecial operations helicopter squadron · active
Airbus H145M, Airbus H225M
Fixed-wing training elementFlying training · active
Zlín
86th Helicopter Brigade, Mi-24 and Mi-17 squadrons2004–2026
Mi-24V/P, Mi-17
89th Mixed Transport Aviation Regiment1984–2004
Mi-8, Antonov An-26
Kilián György aviation officer school (flying training)1949–

No unit matches that search.

Timeline

Hungarian Air Force milestones, 1914 to today

1914

The Hungarian Air Force dates its lineage to Austro-Hungarian military aviation.

1919

The Hungarian Soviet Republic forms a Red Air Force from the post-war air arm; it is disbanded when the regime falls.

1938

28 December: the Royal Hungarian Air Force is established, independent from 1 January 1939 (Wikipedia: 9 January).

1939

23–31 March: the Slovak–Hungarian War; Hungarian bombers raid Spišská Nová Ves on 24 March.

1941

April: operations in support of the invasion of Yugoslavia. 26 June: Kassa is bombed by unidentified aircraft; 27 June: Hungary declares war on the Soviet Union.

1942

An air brigade joins the Luftwaffe’s VIII Fliegerkorps on the Eastern Front; 13 Héja fighters reach Kursk on 2 July.

1944

1 May: the 101st ‘Puma’ fighter group forms for home defence; its first American kill comes on 14 June.

1945

16 April: fighting in Hungary ends and the air force is demobilised.

1956

October–November: the revolution; air force units split, and Soviet forces disarm the whole air force between 4 and 9 November; it is reformed on 1 April 1957.

1961

The first 12 MiG-21F-13s arrive; the MiG-21 serves until 2001.

1978

26 July: the first four Mi-24Ds land at Szentkirályszabadja.

1993

28 MiG-29s arrive from Russia as payment for debt; the first pilot course since 1956 starts at Szolnok.

2001

10 September: the Gripen is chosen; the contract with Sweden follows in December. The last MiG-21s retire.

2006

The first leased Gripens arrive; all 14 are at Kecskemét by December 2007.

2009

14 July: the first NATO C-17 arrives; 27 July: the Heavy Airlift Wing is activated at Pápa.

2015

19 May: a Gripen D is wrecked at Čáslav; 10 June: a Gripen C belly-lands at Kecskemét; 31 August: first Baltic Air Policing lead from Šiauliai.

2024

23 February: four more Gripen Cs announced. Autumn: the first KC-390 arrives.

2026

5 February: the Mi-24’s service life ends. 30 April and 24 June: the four new Gripens arrive (18 in all). 24 August: a Gripen crashes near Szolnok; the pilot ejects.

Combat record

Every war the Hungarian Air Force has fought

Sorties and losses where the record gives them, and an honest blank where it does not.

7conflicts
1919First
1Aircraft lost
0Killed
  • Hungarian–Czechoslovak and Hungarian–Romanian wars of 1919 1919 The air arm of the Hungarian Soviet Republic, formed from surviving Austro-Hungarian aircraft and schools
  • Slovak–Hungarian War 1939 Air superiority and bombing in support of the Hungarian advance into eastern Slovakia
  • Invasion of Yugoslavia 1941 Supported the Hungarian advance into Yugoslav territory alongside the German invasion
  • War against the Soviet Union 1941–1945 Flew fighter, bomber and reconnaissance missions, from 1942 as an air brigade attached to the Luftwaffe’s VIII Fliegerkorps
  • Air defence of Hungary 1944–1945 Intercepted American bomber raids from spring 1944, then fought Soviet aircraft as the front reached Hungary

Open the full combat record

From the magazine

Hungarian Air Force news from Afterburner

Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Hungarian Air Force and the aircraft it flies. This list refreshes itself — new Afterburner stories appear here automatically.

All stories in Afterburner

Questions & Answers

Everything people ask about the Hungarian Air Force

What is the Hungarian Air Force called in Hungarian?
Magyar Légierő. Its command is officially the Magyar Honvédség Légierő Parancsnokság (Hungarian Defence Forces Air Force Command), the name used on the ministry’s site honvedelem.hu. From 1938 to 1945 it was the Royal Hungarian Air Force, Magyar Királyi Honvéd Légierő.
What fighter jets does Hungary fly?
Only the Saab JAS 39 Gripen. Saab counted 18 (16 C and 2 D) after the last delivery on 24 June 2026; one was lost near Szolnok on 24 August 2026, leaving 17. They fly with the 59th Szentgyörgyi Dezső Air Wing at Kecskemét, called the 101st Aviation Brigade from 2023 until 1 September 2026.
Does Hungary own or lease its Gripens?
Both. The original 14 Gripens were leased from Sweden under a deal signed in 2001 and amended on 3 February 2003, with deliveries from 2006 and the lease later extended to 2026. The four extra Gripen Cs agreed in 2024 were bought, and Saab says it will support the fleet beyond 2035.
What happened in the Hungarian Gripen crash of August 2026?
On 24 August 2026, shortly after 10:00, a Gripen on readiness training crashed on military land near Szolnok. The pilot ejected; the ministry first reported no injuries, but he was operated on at the Military Hospital the next day and has since gone home. The flight recorder was sent to Sweden and the cause was still under investigation in September 2026.
Has Hungary lost Gripens before?
Yes, two in accidents in 2015, not 2016–2017 as sometimes stated. On 19 May 2015 a two-seater overran the runway at Čáslav in the Czech Republic and both crew ejected; the Hungarian Defence Forces’ investigation blamed pilot error. On 10 June 2015 a single-seater belly-landed at Kecskemét and its pilot was injured on ejection; that aircraft was repaired.
Did Hungary fly the MiG-29?
Yes. Russia delivered 28 MiG-29s in 1993 to settle part of its debt to Hungary. They flew from Kecskemét until the last was retired in December 2010, and eight were offered for sale in 2011.
How long did Hungary fly the MiG-21?
Forty years, from 1961 to 2001. Hungary received the MiG-21 F-13, PF, MF and bis fighters and U and UM trainers, flown at Taszár, Pápa and Kecskemét. It was the only Warsaw Pact country that never received the PFM or M.
Are there C-17s in Hungary?
Yes. Three Boeing C-17s of NATO’s Heavy Airlift Wing fly from Pápa. They were bought by 12 nations under the Strategic Airlift Capability agreement of 23 September 2008, the first arrived on 14 July 2009, and they carry Hungarian registrations and military markings.
What did the Hungarian air force do in the Second World War?
It fought Slovakia in March 1939, supported the invasion of Yugoslavia in 1941 and fought the Soviet Union from June 1941, including as an air brigade with the Luftwaffe from 1942. From 1944 the 101st ‘Puma’ group defended Hungary with Bf 109Gs, many built at Győr; its top ace, Dezső Szentgyörgyi, is credited with 30 victories.
Is the Kecskemét air show coming back?
Yes. Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi announced in September 2026 that the international air show and military technology display at Kecskemét will return in August 2027, with 13–16 August expected.

Sources & Further Reading

Every fact, checked

Figures verified 2026-09-29. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.

Photographs: Photo: Andrej-airliner / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Alan Wilson from Peterborough, Cambs, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo (Gripen C shown): Alan Wilson from Peterborough, Cambs, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo (KC-390 in other markings shown): Alan Wilson from Peterborough, Cambs, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: U.S. Central Command Public Affairs / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Oldalszerkesztő / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Gaspar Cortez / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Boevaya mashina / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: André Gerwing / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo (AS350 in other markings shown): Kolforn / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo (Czech L-39NG Skyfox shown): Aero Vodochody / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo (Czech Zlín shown): RadekS / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Globetrotter19 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Nick / from United Kingdom / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo (Czech Mi-171Sh shown): Nick / from United Kingdom / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Rob Schleiffert from Holland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: 玄史生 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Jerry Gunner from Lincoln, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Varga Attila / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo (Polish-built MiG-17 shown): Lim-6, Polish Aviation Museum. Igor123121 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · Photo (Polish-built MiG-15 shown): Lim-2. Alan Wilson / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo (Polish Il-10 shown): Il-10, Polish Army Museum. Bene Riobó / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo (Polish Yak-9 shown): Yak-9P, Polish Army Museum. Bene Riobó / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Jim.van.de.Burgt / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · Photo: User:VargaA / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: VargaA / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo (Finnish Bf 109G shown): Erik Lyly / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Fortepan / Erky-Nagy Tibor / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)