Hungarian Air Force ordered twelve L-39NGs

The Government Commissioner for Defense Development Gáspár Maróth announced the purchase of twelve Aero L-39NG aircraft for the Magyar Légierö (Hungarian Air Force). The order consists of eight training and four reconnaissance aircraft. The first aircraft are expected to be delivered in 2024.

At the end of 2016 the Hungarian Government launched the ambitious “Zrinyi 2026” modernisation programme and since then a lot has changed within the Hungarian Air Force.

Eight Mi-24s have been overhauled, twenty H145s, two A319s, two Falcon 7s, two Zlin 143s and six Zlin 242Ls have been delivered in the past few years and on order are two KC-390s, to be delivered in 2023, and sixteen H225s of which the first is expected to be delivered in 2025.

For advanced training the Hungarian Government was considering the L-39NG or the Embraer EMB314 Super Tucano. In November 2020 Hungarian pilots conducted test flights with the Aero L-39NG at Kecskemét.

The advanced jet training has been outsourced since 2009, when the Hungarian Air Force stopped operating the L-39ZO. In 2017, the Commander of MH 86. Szolnok Helicopter Base, General József Koller, confirmed that the air force planned to restore military pilot training at Szolnok for future pilots of fixed and rotary wing aircraft.

So to Scramble magazine it’s not a surprise that the L-39NG has been ordered.

Photo: Aero Vodochody